The Road Not Shown
by David Knight
Summary: (Set before the EXE anime) A single tragedy will start a doctor down the path of darkness and forever change a young boy's life. [Chapter 5 Added] A new student arrives at Central Densan High, but as Ryu soon learns, she's anything but your average teen
1. Prologue: One Man’s Journey into Darknes

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I do own Vanessa Wily-Shingure, Agito Shingure, Ryu Shingure. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series._****

**The Road Not Shown  
By David Knight**

**Prologue: One Man's Journey into Darkness**

Doctor Albert Wily sat his desk working at his terminal. The years had been both good and bad to him. It seemed like the bad always came first to his mind. His company World Com had been betrayed from greedy workers from with in, making deals with another company, J-Tech, so that they could absorb it into their own and take all of his research to their own ends.   
  
__They regretted it only as they faced their ends.__ A smile came to his face as he thought of how he had easily hacked into their systems, and caused havoc to J-Tech's main system. Even if they were going to buy out his company, he would take them with him as well as take their money. He figured it was enough of a penance for them to pay. Recently he had heard that a company called Gabcom had absorbed them. 

However he had no real concerns with the business world at this time. He was much happier working as an independent thinker, conducting his own business over the net, which in his own mind had several problems.  __ Tadashi never wanted to listen to my advice. Even when we were working together.__ Wily closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered the only man great enough to be his rival as well as the only scientist that he ever respected: Tadashi Hikari. He had attended the funeral two years ago, though kept his distance from most people. He wasn't a friend, but he had respect for the man. 

He saw Yuuichiro Hikari, Tadashi's only son, along with his wife there at the funeral along with their very young son, though they did not see him. From what he heard Yuuichiro was following in his father's footsteps. __Like father like son__ Wily mused.  __Though in my case that could not be said... as I had a daughter.__

He looked over the left hand side of his desk and there were two pictures there. The first was of Albert Wily himself over twenty years ago with a beautiful blonde woman with green eyes. In front of the two was a young girl with green eyes and sandy blonde hair.  The older woman was his much missed and dearly departed wife Miranda. The young girl was their only offspring, Vanessa.

The other was of Wily looking much like he did now, his daughter now a grown woman, a Japanese man with black hair, blue eyes and who was slightly older than her stood beside her. Vanessa had on her lap a very young little boy with sandy blonde hair and blue green eyes. The older man was her husband and Wily's son in law Agito Shingure.

The little boy was their son, his grandson, Ryu. The happiest moment in Albert Wily's life had to be seeing the birth of his grandson. He had never seen his daughter so happy when she held her newborn child in her arms for the first time. 

She had not followed in his path though with technology and computers, preferring to work in the arts, becoming a designer. Her husband was a teacher of history. That was probably the only regret he had, that he had no heir, no one showing the same gift or interest into technology that he had.

As long as his daughter was happy with her life, Wily didn't have a problem with it. He would just find another way to leave his mark on the world. Something that carry the Wily name for many years to come even after his...

***ring ring ring***

Hearing the video phone go off, Wily turned it on, though to his surprise found it to be with what looked to be a police detective.

_"Doctor Albert Wily?"_

"Yes can I help you?" Wily asked.

_"I am sorry to be the bear of bad news, but there's been an accident with the Metroline in Densan City. It derailed and crashed... there were very few survivors." _

Albert Wily began to get a very sinking and very disturbing feeling then, __Oh God... God don't let him say what I think he will...__

_"Among the bodies with identification we found one Agito Shingure and Vanessa Wily-Shingure."_

* * *

The next hour went by without even noticing it. All Wily could do was listen to the man tell him about the accident. How the system had apparently had a glitch in it because of some wiring done on the net. They were ruling it as an accident and not some sort of deliberate sabotage. The way the man spoke the whole time was made Wily angry on the inside.

__Who the hell does he think he is offering me his false sincerity and condolences!__ he growled, thinking about the man who had given him a smile and offered his condolences once he had hanged up on him. __That man couldn't even care less about my family! Every day I you hear of an accident and no one thinks anything of it! All because of the net and no one bothers to check the problem, relying on the system that was created. Are they all fools?!_ _

He couldn't take it, everything he loved, he cherished, gone in an instant... because of some stupid glitch?! "I refuse to accept that!" Wily roared as he picked up his chair and threw it across the room. He threw his files and books off of shelves; smashed his fists into the walls, trying to release his anger, release his pain.

Finally, he collapsed against the wall and slid to the ground, mourning the death of his only child. "Vanessa!" he wailed as thought of his daughter, thought of her mother, his wife who died because of cancer before they had discovered the cure. Twice had been cheated by society. He had lost his family. He had lost his entire...

__Wait!__ Wily froze, remembering one very important thing even with his mind as it was.

He still had someone.

* * *

Eight-year-old Ryu Shingure sat with the rest of his class listing to Yuriko-sensei give her lecture. 

__At least she doesn't make us fall asleep like our last teacher did.__ Ryu mused. He noticed how many of his classmates had PETs, some of them didn't and Ryu was among them. His parents weren't too much into technology. Ryu wanted to learn as much as he could and liked Yuriko-sensei's classes as she was helping her students to develop understanding the basics of the net even at their age.

Just then there was a knock on the door that lead into the classroom and everyone saw Yuriko-sensei go there. After several moments she turned around and spoke, "Shingure Ryu, you're being excused from class today and the rest of the week. Your Grandfather is here for you."

"Grandfather?" Ryu questioned but gathered his things into his pack and left the class. Once he was out of the door he saw his grandfather standing right there. He looked tired and exhausted. "Grandfather? Why are you here?"

"We... are going to go get your things from your home." Wily said slowly to him.  
  


"Why? Am I going to sleep over with you while mother and father are away? I thought they'd come back from Osaka today for dinner." Ryu asked but saw his grandfather not look at him. "Grandfather... what's going on?"

"Ryu, please..." Wily strained to say, his voice strained and the young boy saw that.

"Grandfather why do you sound so sad? What's wrong?" Ryu asked curiously, "Did something happen?"

"Ryu... please... I don't want to talk about it here..." Wily asked, "Let's just go get your things from your old home..."

"Old home?" Ryu asked, "Did mother and father buy a new house?" Wily didn't answer, not even looking at the boy and that's when he realized it, "... mother... father... that's why you are sad isn't it?"

"Ryu..."

"Where are they Grandfather?" the young boy demanded to know, he felt like he was about to cry, "What happened to them? Are they okay? Where are they?!"

When Wily hung his head, Ryu finally realized why he was excused from class... and why his grandfather was here. _"... Nooooo!!!"_ He wailed as wrapped his arms around his grandfather, tears now flowing from his face, "Mother! Father! They can't be gone! Mama and Papa would never leave me! Never!"

People were now staring at him, how could they not after hearing his screams. But Ryu didn't care. He just cried out and screamed again, hugging his grandfather tightly because he thought if he let go of him, he'd be gone like his parents were now.

And then he would truly be alone.

* * *

Wily had hoped to avoid this, had hoped his grandson would guessed the truth until they were in the privacy of their own home. He had guessed wrong.

He felt strange, Ryu holding on to him as if his very life depended on it. It was very strange indeed. Still, he gave him what the boy needed. Comfort, the ability to let his emotions go, to let it all out. He wasn't of the age of knowing how to keep your emotions inside could be used to give one strength.

Just like how he was doing. He would use his anger, his grief and his rage and direct it at the ones that were responsible for this injustice. The death of his daughter, the pain inflicted upon him and his grandson.

__Someone will pay for all of this,__ Wily vowed,_ _The Net is not the perfect society that everyone thinks. It is flawed... and for mankind to move on it must be torn down and replaced with a better one. Tadashi, your dream ended with your death. Now I will shatter what is left and from its ashes I will create a legacy so great, that no one will ever forget the name of Wily. No one!__

**To Be Continued...**


	2. Chapter 1: New Beginnings

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I do own Vanessa Wily-Shingure, Agito Shingure, Ryu Shingure. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series._

**The Road Not Shown  
By David Knight  
  
Chapter One: New Beginnings**

Shinjuku Cemetery. A place where people come to mourn and lament for the ones that have left them alone in this mortal coil of life. It knows nothing else but sadness, as that is what a cemetery is: A place were people weep.

A lone figure walks up to a pair of graves, a bouquet of red roses under his right arm. He was dressed in a black vest and pants with a red t-shirt under the vest. Lastly, he wore a blue, half orb pendant wore around his neck.  His eyes closed as he walked to a place that had been committed to memory. He could walk here with both eyes shut now. He opened his eyes only when he reached his destination.

Two tombstones. They both read Agito Shingure and Vanessa Wily-Shingure. The young boy opened his eyes as he looked down at the graves. 

"Mama. Papa." Twelve-year-old Ryu Shingure said softly, "It's been four years now... I know because my birthday is only a week later. The days... they feel so empty without you here with me and Gramps." He sighed, thinking about his Grandfather Albert Wily. "Grandfather's always working in the labs. He's paid for nurses and caretakers to help raise me since he's so busy. Even still, he comes to me when he can and helps me out."

A memory that struck out fondly to Ryu was a night where he had a nightmare a few months after the death of his parents. His grandfather had come right there and held him tight. Ryu had thought the monsters had come to kill him like they killed his parents. But his Grandfather said there were no monsters. The little boy had protested, but his grandfather swore that as long as he was in this room no monsters would ever take him. 

Ryu remembered staying up for quite some time, seeing his grandfather stay and be there for him in the room. He felt safe and he trusted in his grandfather, and fell asleep. For as long as he could remember, his grandfather was always there for him.

"Mama. Papa. I wish you were still here with us. Wish you could be here to help me like Grandfather." Ryu said softly as he placed the flowers down the graves. Half for his mother and half for his father. He just stood there in front of the graves, in silence for several more moments before speaking once more. "Mama. Papa. ... I'll be back again later to put flowers on your graves." Without saying anything else he turned around and started to walk away.

__Some days, I wonder if it's possible to even forget them? What they looked like? Sounded like? Could I ever really forget that?__ Ryu asked himself. He was occasionally plagued by such doubts, especially when he saw his own classmates embrace their parents. It was a constant and painful reminder that his parents were dead.

Since the accident, he had become somewhat withdrawn. He knew he wasn't the same cheerful boy. How could anyone who lost their mother and father remain as such? The answer was no one could. The number of friends he had was few indeed but they were ones that mattered to him. As long as he had people that he could count on, that respected him, his life was that much easier to go through.

He passed the park on the way back to his home and decided to stop there, just to sit down on the ground and think things over. He had nothing better to do as since Gendo and Kaede already told him they were going out with their families for the weekend to Kyoto and Mt Fuji. It left him alone for the weekend, save for his grandfather, who was in the lab below the house, and the caretakers, which he thought he was getting a bit too old for.

He thought about how the world worked, about the Net Society that they all had. __Gramps seems to think the Net has flaws. I tend to agree a little. I mean I find it really aggravating when some people just go on and on about how flawless the Net is.__ Ryu mused. __Those that think perfection is attainable are nothing more than fools looking for their own demise.__

Before his parent's death, he had not been so much into technological things, save for video games. He remembered how after their death he went through a phase where he would just be playing games after he got home from school, as if using it as a way to escape from reality. 

Though that phase was long since over, it had gotten him into the cyber world. He had been asking his teacher, Yuriko-sensei, for tutoring after hours to learn more on the Net, more on his own level as his grandfather was way above him. He knew more than the average child his age did about the Net and Cyber Matrix. Also playing with Gendo in his Role Playing Games on his various systems had given him ideas into programming systems, just by seeing how the characters of the heroes and the villains were set up. He was going to try to take a shot at designing a few small programs himself sometime, if only to show his grandfather.

__I wonder though... what does Gramps do in the lab anyway?__ Ryu mused, __He doesn't work for any corporations or companies... I wonder...__ Getting up from where he was sitting, he decided to go home and see what his grandfather was doing in his lab. 

* * *

"Worthless!" Wily screamed as he swatted folders and disks off his table. Holding papers in his hands he ripped them apart, "All worthless!!!" He fell into his chair and looked up at his main monitor, it showed a... well, it looked like a large green blob which suddenly blew apart into a million different pieces.

__And once again my attempt at creating a super virus end up in failure.__ Wily sighed as he put his hand over his face. He felt like pulling out what hair he had left, if this was what was going to keep on happening. 

Four years of working and preparing and he still couldn't come up with a super virus. Sure, he had been able map out much of the world network path ways, find holes in their security grids to allow unauthorized and undetected entry, but none of that mattered if he didn't have a virus to infect and take over the system to do what he wanted.

__Why is it so hard for what I want to become a reality?__ Wily asked himself, __Vanessa, Miranda, be patient with me and give me your strength. I needed it more than ever if I am going to find a way to...__

"Hiya Gramps."

Wily cringed when he heard that voice. "How many times must I tell you not to call me Gramps?"

"Sorry Grandfather," Ryu shrugged as he walked toward him.

"What are you doing down here?"

"What do you do down here, grandfather?" Ryu returned, "I'm just wondering what you do down here in the lab."

"Just a lot of work that you wouldn't understand," Wily said gruffly. __I love the dear boy, but knowing how Vanessa was, he would not have the gift to understanding or wanting to learn more about the field of the Net.__ However caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Ryu at the computer console until he was starting to pull up files. "What are you doing!?"

"Sensitive aren't you?" Ryu blinked, surprised at the tone of his grandfather's voice. "Don't worry Grandfather. I'm not going to crash your data. I'm not a toddler. I'm just inputting a return command set to see what you were working on without disturbing your work."

__... Come again?__ Wily stared hard at his grandson, as if he hadn't heard that right. __Have I missed something about my grandson over these last few years?__ Up on the monitor appeared a simulation of what Wily had been trying to do. First came several regular Net Navis from PETs, all of which were encircling this large giant creature, cloaked in darkness but even then it gave a fearsome image.

Till it degraded into what could only be described as a pile of slime.

"Gotta say Gramps, you are really making mess of things," Ryu said without really knowing what the program really was supposed to be.

"And just what does that mean?" Wily asked, feeling a bit annoyed by that comment.

"Well as far as I can see you've been trying to make this one giant program be able to adapt itself to any environment, any situation, have just about every capability known to man." Ryu listed, "In short, a perfect program."

"That is the dream," Wily said wistfully.

"It's a flawed and stupid dream. You should stop wasting your time."

Wily's eyes whirled right at his grandson, and it took every ounce of love for the youth not to slap him. __Wasting my time?! I've been wasting my time with this program he says?! How dare he! It has taken me so long to get this far.__

"After all, don't you always say people think the Net is perfect when it's really flawed?" 

"Wha..." Wily was broken out of his anger by his grandson repeating words he had often said aloud, by himself and in Ryu's own presence.

"I've come to the realization that there is no such thing as a perfect anything. Anyone who strives for perfection is only wishing for their own demise and could possibly take the people around them with them into the abyss." Ryu said solemnly.

"... when did you learn to act so mature?" Albert Wily breathed after a minute of silence.

"Comes with circumstances I guess," Ryu sighed.

__He misses them as much as I do,__ Wily closed his eyes for a moment, reflecting on the past, but also began to look at his grandson in a newer light. Never before had he ever come into the lab to talk to him about his work. This was the first time and now he was seeing a side of Ryu that he had never seen before: a side interested in technology.

Rubbing his chin, the doctor asked his grandson, "Well then, how would you suggest that I fix the problem?"

Ryu's face showed surprise. "Grandfather... you are asking me for advice?"

"Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to see things in a new light. I am old and you are young," Wily said, a small smile forming on his face. "Care to see if you can teach this old dog some new tricks young pup?"

Ryu matched the smile and started typing into the computer some commands, careful though not to affect his grandfather's current work. "I consider this problem like the RPG games I've played with Gendo. The Final Fantasy Series, if you want to be technical, but anyway, you wanna start off small; creating simple programs with a unique ability or just one way to attack but there are many of them, think of them like drones. Then think up drone programs that are specifically tailored for a certain aspect. Like a bird flies more than it walks so have a program that only flies instead of walks. One that can handle heat or use it to its advantage."

"Once you got that settled you can work on creating some more complex characters or programs, smaller in number from the drones, but have must greater capacity and powers. Those are like the bosses but not the main ones. Main ones you construct after you've done all the rest, and they are supposed to take into account everything else that has happened in the game. Plus in RPGs I've discovered that final bosses have very cheep moves. One that can instantly kill a player or reduce life points to just one or zero. It's a big unwritten rule. So anything else?" Ryu turned to his grandfather, who was just staring at him. "... grandfather?"

"... how would you like to work with me in the lab?"

Ryu's eyes lit up at that. "Are you serious? I'd be working with you?"

"Not just working with me, Ryu," Wily said with a smile, "I can clearly see you have a lot of potential in understanding the mechanics and specifics of my field. If you really want to know it, I can teach it to you."

Ryu didn't say anything, he just hugged his grandfather, "I want to know, Grandfather. I really do. I don't want to be perfect, but I want to learn as much as I can and I want to work with you."

For a moment, Albert Wily wasn't sure if he would return the hug, it was hard to believe how his opinion of his own grandson a few minutes ago had been. From naive child, to arrogant whelp, to promising genius and heir. 

He hugged the child back, not only because he might finally find the way to get everything that he ever wanted.

But because he loved him. 

* * *

_Nine months later..._

Wily was sitting behind his desk, looking at the program set up that he and Ryu had been working on, but also at a part that Ryu hadn't seen nor would he see. What Wily saw made a smile come to his face.

__Yes. All three versions of the Metool Virus are working and fully functional and they breed even faster than rabbits.__ he mused. Though very small creatures... well alright, they were just a black ball with a helmet over it, two feet and a pickax, but still they did their job. By sheer number they could infect a system and cause much damage to the matrix inside of it before anyone could do anything.

Ryu had been instrumental in their creation even though he had no idea of their existence. His speaking in making programs simple with only one attack but having so many was very illuminating. After all, Wily didn't expect to get the job done on the first try. What was the point in creating an ultimate creation, only for it to fail and have to spend that much time trying recreate a new one? 

No, no, it was better to create smaller, simpler viruses, ones that could be used as cannon fodder and could be replaced very easily. __He is quite the strategist whether he realizes it or not.__ He had to admit that it was because his grandson had gotten him to actually try one of those confounded games.

He hated to admit it, but he actually found playing it to be somewhat... relaxing. He was actually now playing it at night when no one was awake. He had a matter of personal pride after all.

"Hmm?" Wily blinked when he saw one of the Metool, a Version Three type come running with a file tagged up on its helmet. By the look on its face... "Damn it! Download file into anti virus set now!"

The Ver. 3 didn't even argue with its creator as it deleted itself but sent its contents to Wily's sidesystem. The doctor then quickly logged off all of his programs and backed up all of his work before deleting all of the viruses on that sector. He didn't know if anyone would have been able to follow his virus back to his computer, but still better not to take any chances.

Sure enough, Wily's security system found a Net Navi rush right through it, holding an SSS Rank Net Agent License. He realized he had to let him search the sector or it would arouse suspicion. The Net Navi went about searching that sector of his system before it left, not even telling him why he had come in to his system.

__Seems my Metool took something very sensitive to them.__ Wily smiled as he opened up the file that his virus had taken, __...Cossack Labs? Isn't that run by Doctor Mikhail Sergeivich Cossack? Didn't he leave SciLabs around the time that Tadashi died? It was around that time that he started an independent navi development company. It ended up becoming one of the most successful in the world. This is definitely interesting. What is it that Cassock wanted to find that he would ask for a SSS Class Net Agent to come get one simple file?__

The answer blew Wily's mind away. About seven years ago, when Cossack had been with SciLabs, he had lead a project called the auto program navi. Its aim was to create the world's first automatic navi. This Navi could carry all its own chips, access networks without human help, but what intrigued Wily the most was the 'Get Ability' program. It was a special program designed by Cossack himself, a program that would allow the navi copy any chip or program and adapt it to himself. The Navi was dubbed Forte. 

__Incredible!__ Wily breathed, impressed by the younger doctor's idea_. _All my years and I never heard of such a navi ever... so then why hasn't the world heard about it?__ As Wily read down, he learned the file was corrupted from this point on, but he did learn that at did learn that two weeks before Takashi's death, something happened that made the Net Officials declare Forte too dangerous and sent their best Navis to delete him. It was unclear if they actually succeeded. 

__Such a Navi on my side would be incredible... if I could find this Forte... hmm?__ Wily looked down into the file and saw an attachment. Something that was not corrupted, at least not as badly as the rest though Wily knew if he used it, it wouldn't be able to copy it and use it for another program. It would be a unique file.

When he opened it, and saw the file name, absolute disbelief was etched all over his face, __I can't... I can't believe it!!!__

The file name was GetAbil.bat.

"He hehe..hahahahaa! MwaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" 

"Gramps... I thought we said you'd stop laughing aloud like Dr. Frankenstein."

Wily blinked as he saw his grandson yawning as he came down the stairs of the lab, dressed only in red pants and a black shirt. 

"I mean I could hear you all the way from upstairs on the couch." Ryu rubbed his eyes as if to wake up. "And it's Sunday. I like to sleep in on my only free day of the week from school."

"You've taken to sleeping on that couch ever since I got rid the caretakers," Wily said with a wiry smile.

"One, I'm nearly fourteen and I don't need a caretaker. Two, with them gone, I don't really have a curfew so I spend a good part of my nights with you down here gramps," Ryu yawned.

"So what are you doing down here if you want to go to sleep?" Wily asked.

"It's noon, I just thought I'd tell you I'm going out with Gendo and Kaede for the day. I'll be back in time for dinner." Ryu told him.

"Alright. I'll see you then." Wily said, expecting his grandson to be leaving to play with his friends but he didn't hear footsteps.

"Grandfather Albert... when can I get a PET?" 

That surprised the doctor as he turned around to see his grandson. "I feel almost totally alone having to use just a labtop when every other kid around me is using PETs."

"Ryu... I thought we said you wouldn't get some cheap PET with a regular Net Navi. You're too good for that."

"You also told me that when I was eleven, twelve and thirteen. I'm going to be fourteen in three months." Ryu returned. "I know enough about the net now and I've also been able to get Battle Chips with my allowance and with what you've shown me. Gramps, I want to net battle."

"You'll get one when I tell you so and if you buy one of those terrible pieces of junk that I see in stores you'll be grounded to your room and out of the lab," Wily said firmly. "Am I clear?"

Ryu just glared at his grandfather, for the first time ever, he felt angry with him. "... I'm going to get changed and then I'm going to play with my friends... who do have PETs and Custom Net Navis to boot." He added that last bit with a touch of anger as he left the lab.

Wily sighed, as he knew that his grandson wanted to test his skills. He had played with simulations but he hadn't allowed him to have a PET, as he thought it would have been a short cut to his training and tutelage. Wily himself didn't have a PET until he was in his late 30's, he was the only one in his family that had ever had one and yet he didn't even use it now, preferring to use his own computers and their interfaces.

But Ryu was not him. He was still a teenager, regardless of how gifted he was. There was still the spark of wanting to have fun with in him, except now Wily could see where it was directed: in battling. He saw it in his eyes whenever Ryu played those games of his; it was as if he could zone out reality and could put himself there able to actually be a part of it.

__Perhaps it is time he had a PET... but I can't give him an ordinary one or a common Net Navi...__ Wily knew as he looked down at his desk and there saw under a stack of disks and files a folder.

A folder filled with drawings.

__Ryu's,__ Wily knew, seeing the art work that was done. There were three passions his grandson had. Technology, role-playing-games, and the arts. He refused to draw with a computer and instead drew with pencils of different colors. Some were of landscapes, where he would draw a moonlight setting over a pond...

__...what?__ Wily blinked as he took a look the fourth drawing in the folder. He looked back to his computer, to the drawing again... and then finally smiled. "Well, well, well... I think I have work to do." Taking the picture with him, Wily returned to his station and then proceeded to scan the image into the computer's memory.

__I have a birthday present to work on.__

* * *

The next three months came and went very fast for Ryu. The day that he went to his parents' graves once again was the same as every other day that he went there. He didn't say much, but his heart always ached from missing them. It was always the worst on the anniversary of their deaths.

And now today was yet another reminder of his loss. His birthday. A day where he would be reminded of exactly how long it had been since he lost them.

And to make matters worse he would have to go to school to boot. __I hate going to school on my birthday. Why can't they just let me stay home?__

"Wake up or you are going to be late for class."

"Just give me five more minutes..." Ryu muttered as he tried to stay asleep, not really wanting to get up from his bed. "Okay, Gramps?"

"Do I sound like your grandfather?"

Ryu's eyes went wide as he realized that was, in fact, not his grandfather's voice. He twirled around trying to find the source. "Who are you? Where are you? More importantly, what in the world are you doing in my room?"

"I'm on your desk."

"My desk?" Ryu blinked in confusion as he looked toward his desk, where his labtop computer was. Only today there was something else there as well. 

A black PET with red highlights ... and it was active. That much was obvious by the screen that was being displayed and seeing a Navi, a Custom Navi was there in the middle of the screen. He was wearing a black bodysuit with red highlights down his boots and across his forearms. His hands were white with silver-gray color around the wrists, while his shoulders had small yellow pads on top. On the center of his chest was a clear blue half orb, looking just like the half blue orb pendant Ryu wore around his neck. That same symbol was on the red and black helmet that he wore. Short brown hair came from the back of the helmet and reached the small of his back. His face looked like that of a teenager's, and his green eyes looked on at the human boy, as if assessing Ryu.

As for Ryu himself, he couldn't believe what he was seeing... because he was seeing one of his own drawings, his favorite one, now brought to life. After several moments he finally spoke, "Who are you?"

"I think you know that already. After all, you are the one that designed me outer appearance." The Net Navi said with a half smirk.

"Then you are really...?"

"You got it Ryu. The name is Axl and I'm your Custom Made Net Navi, programmed by your Grandfather."

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Chapter 2: Axl

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I wish I did own Axl but sadly he too belongs to Capcom (for those of you that don't know, he comes from the upcoming Rockman/Megaman X7 game for the PS2). I do own Ryu Shingure, Vanessa Wily-Shingure, Agito Shingure, Gendo Yurameshi, Kaede Shinomuri, Artemis.EXE, and Hirokazu Atagi. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series._

**The Road Not Shown  
By David Knight**

**Chapter Two: Axl**

Doctor Albert Wily was enjoying his coffee--not in the lab, at the kitchen table for a change. Laid out there were bacon and eggs with toast, and across the table were a set of pancakes. As late as his grandson was for class he would still eat breakfast, though it would be in a hurry.

__I wonder how long it will be until he...__ Wily mused until a very loud voice broke him out of his reverie.

"ALRIGHT!!! GRAMPS, YOU RULE!!!"

Wily allowed himself a chuckle as he heard Ryu's enthusiastic scream. He continued to drink his coffee as he heard quick motions and footsteps above him, meaning he was hurrying to get dressed now. He decided to time it out of amusement. It was about four minutes and thirty-one seconds when his grandson came rushing down the stairs dressed for school, his red backpack over his shoulders and his PET never leaving the grip of his right hand. 

He put it down on the table and sat down and began to eat almost like a starving animal. It unnerved the doctor slightly, as he had never seen his grandson eat so fast. In less than five minutes he had finished breakfast. He picked up his PET again, but to the surprise of Wily, the youth gave him a very strong hug.

"Thanks for my present Grandfather!" Ryu beamed, "I can't wait to show it off at school and show Axl to the others." He gave him a serious look though, "But when I get home we have to talk. I'd love to know how you kept this a secret from me after all the time I've been spending in the lab. Plus I want to know everything Axl can do." He glanced up and caught a look at the time, "... but if I don't leave right now I am going to be so late! Later!" With that he grabbed his bag and took off, the front door swinging open and then shut.

Wily had a subdued look on his face for a while, his keen mind not able to immediately process what just happened. It took a few minutes, but then there was a smile on his face. "Children. So spirited."

* * *

"Gotta hope I make the bus to downtown or I am going to be really late!" Ryu gasped as he was running as fast as he could. He managed to get in with only a couple of seconds left to spare. 

"You aren't exactly a morning person are you?" his Navi asked from his PET as he took a seat in the back of the bus. 

"Not during this time of the year," Ryu shook his head.

"I don't pretend to understand how human emotions work or how humans feel," Axl told his operator, "But I've only been online for exactly three hours, twenty seven minutes and forty five seconds so my experience with humans is rather limited. I'm hoping that will change." 

"It will," Ryu said, "You look exactly like I drew you. How?"

"Your grandfather scanned your drawing into his computer. After that it was a simple matter of manipulating it into a three dimensional image to use as my appearance frame." Axl replied. 

"So what are your capabilities?" Ryu asked.

"That eager to Net Battle, huh?" 

Ryu shrugged. "That obvious, huh?"

A smirk formed on Axl's face, "To be honest, I was hoping you were going to ask about my battle capabilities first. I'm itching to try my skills against actual opponents."

"So am I," Ryu returned with a matching smirk.

"To answer your question, I was built as a Battle Navi. I'm quite skilled in hand to hand combat, having been downloaded with several different combat technique and styles from what you would call martial arts. Like all Navis I can accept battle chips." Axl reported, "I also have two default weapons."

"Default weapons?" Ryu asked as he saw Axl materialize two hand laser guns in his hand. The one in his right hand was black and red, stylized to look like a phoenix. The one in his left hand was blue and white, stylized to resemble that of a dragon.

"I call them Suzaku and Seriyu. I can use them as separately and am able to charge them up to unleash a special attack."

__Wow... you went all out, didn't you, Gramps...__ Ryu mused.

"So. What type of battle chips do you have?" Axl asked.

"I don't have anything that's a rare chip like level five rarity. Right now I have level one, two and three chips." Ryu replied.

"Good enough to get started on and better than some have." Axl complemented.

"Yeah well," Ryu chuckled.

"What?" Axl asked.

"I'm just trying to imagine how Kaede and Gendo are going to react when they see I've got a PET and a Net Navi now." Ryu smirked. 

"You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" Axl asked.

"Oh yes." 

* * *

Central Densan High, place for learning as well as trying to enjoy life.

Ninth Year students Gendo Yurameshi and Kaede Shinomuri sat in their chairs in homeroom, wondering how late their friend Ryu Shingure would be to class this day. Though they expected it to be very, as it was every year for the last eight. 

It was his birthday, a constant reminder of how long it had been since the death of his parents.

Gendo was of a lean build, wearing a blue shirt and black pants, a pair of glasses on his head. His hair cropped short and black.

Kaede on the other hand had a very modest figure, one she kept hidden under loose fitting clothing, a white shirt and blue pants. Her blue hair going to middle of her back and two jade eyes looked around for her friend, but found nothing. "He's going to be so late."

"Like he never isn't?" Gendo asked her.

It was then that they looked up and saw the door swing open, thinking it would be Yuriko-sensei. Instead, to their surprise, it was Ryu who sat down in his chair in front of Kaede.

"Tell me class hasn't started yet?" Ryu asked, almost out of breath as it showed he had run all the way down to class. 

Both Gendo and Kaede couldn't believe their eyes, "... since when are you ever on time on your birthday?!"

"Well..." Ryu said slowly as a smirk formed on his face, "That's a secret!" 

Before either one of them could complain, they saw the door open and saw Yuriko-sensei enter. What was different this time was that there was a girl their age with her, one that they had never seen before. She was dressed in a loose fitting pink shirt and blue jeans. Her red hair was hanging loosely down her back and eyes were brown.

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Yuriko-sensei."

"Before we begin, I'd like to introduce a new transfer student to our school." Yuriko-sensei spoke, "Would you introduce yourself, dear?"

"Iroaya Madoi," the young girl said.

"Take the empty desk at the front of the class, Madoi-chan." Yuriko-sensei told her and the girl complied. "Alright, let's begin class then, shall we?" 

As class began, Ryu wasn't paying attention to the lecture. He was waiting for his friends to plug their PETs in and send their Navis to their hub to talk. Probably about him.

__Boy are they in for a surprise.__ Ryu smiled as he soon heard the click and decided to plug in himself.

* * *

The hub was nothing more than a simple platform. At the moment there were only two Navis on the hub that Ryu's friends considered their own.

One of them looked very much like mythical centaur, half man, half horse. His lower half was that of a black stallion, however he didn't have the skin coloring of a human, rather, he kept the black coloring of his lower half over his torso. A long mane of black stretched down his back. He wore green colored armor over his torso as well as a matching helmet. Over his chest was symbol of a spear.

The other was a female dressed in a white bodysuit with the symbol of a full moon in the center of the body suit. It was edged in silver and showed off a very feminine figure. Over her back was a sword in a scabbard. Her face was flawless, purple eyes that glowed like amethysts but were serious. Purple hair went down to her shoulders.

"So Centaurman, got any ideas why our operators are so spooked?" the female Navi asked.

"I've seen Ryu before on his birthday Artemis and on those days he almost doesn't speak at all," Centaurman.EXE said politely, "I think my operator and Kaede have just cause to wonder just what is up with Ryu."

"Considering how our operators have always been the ones to surprise him instead of vice versa, what could he possible do that would be that big of a surprise?" Artemis.EXE mused.

"Do I count as big enough of a surprise?"

Centaurman and Artemis turned around in surprise to see another Navi, one they didn't recognize stand in the shadows of their hub. "Hey relax. It was his idea to be so secretive."

"His idea?" Artemis asked.

"My operator's," the black and red Navi said as he started to walk towards them, "He's really enjoying this."

"Who is your operator... and who are you?" Centaurman asked.

"In reverse order," the Net Navi smirked, "I'm Axl.EXE, the custom Net Navi of Shingure Ryu."

* * *

"WHAT?!" Gendo and Kaede snapped, standing up in class and only then realizing they had attracted too much attention.

"Gendo. Kaede. Is there something you wish to share with the rest of the class?" Yuriko-sensei asked sternly.

"No Yuriko-sensei." Both of them said hurriedly. 

"Then please sit down and don't disturb me again." She told them. They complied without question and Yuriko-sensei went back to her lecture.

In his own chair, Ryu fought back his chuckles, though he couldn't have hid the smirk plastered on his face.

* * *

"Yup. He definitely enjoyed that." Axl mused as he looked upward.

Artemis and Centaurman were in a bit of shock themselves. Both of them knew that Ryu hadn't had a PET or a Navi of his own. Now on his birthday he had both and his Net Navi was a Custom Model. 

"... okay. I guess I was wrong," Artemis admitted, "Ryu-san actually did surprise us."

Centaurman nodded as he looked toward Axl. "So... Axl is it?"

"It is." The black and red Navi nodded. "Ryu says you and Gendo do well as a team." He turned to look at Artemis, "Says the same of you and Kaede... I'm looking forward to a match with both of you."

Both Net Navis had a smile on their faces as they both could see the battle spirit within Ryu's Navi. It was definitely strong and they wanted to see it themselves. Challenges came and went but finding someone other than each other to spar with on a regular basis was very hard indeed. It would do them good to have a new opponent to face.

"As we will too, but after classes." Artemis said.

"I can hardly wait," Axl smirked.

* * *

Time pasted on, and after one class ended, another started. It wasn't until lunchtime was actually about to start that the three friends could get together and talk openly.

Gendo immediately put Ryu in a headlock. "You baka! What the hell did you do that for! Why didn't you just tell us you had a PET instead of acting like Xellos from Slayers?"

"Don't I have you to thank for showing me that wonderful show, Gendo?" Ryu smirked.

"He does have a point, Gendo," Kaede snickered.

"Hey! He nearly got you into trouble as well, Kaede." Gendo pointed out.

"Its his birthday Gendo," Kaede shrugged. "He's allowed some fun." She walked over to him and whispered in Ryu's ear. "However if you pull something like this on any other day Ryu-kun, you're going to make me very angry. You wouldn't want me when I'm angry would you?"

"No Kaede-chan." Ryu said as he nervously put his left hand behind his head.

"Good," Kaede chirped, "Now that that is taken care of, let's get going to the cafeteria. I want to eat before I Net Battle you, Ryu. From what Artemis tells me of his aura, its pretty decent to say the least."

"No way! I want to Net Battle Ryu first!" Gendo snapped.

"Come on guys, we got plenty of time to Net Battle each other now," Ryu shrugged as they were walking into to the cafeteria. "Now that I have a PET and a Net Navi..."

The sound of something crashing against lockers broke him out of his thoughts. 

"What was that?" 

"How much you want to bet Hirokazu and his thugs are at it again?" Kaede muttered under her breath.

"Thugs are too kind of a word for them," Gendo returned.

"What are you two talking about?" Ryu asked.

The two friends looked over at Ryu with a solemn look on their faces, "You haven't had a Net Navi or PET as long as we had. So you never had to face Atagi Hirokazu or his gang, even way back in the 5th year class. They only go after those with PETs and chips." 

Ryu blinked, unsure of what Kaede was implying, "What do you mean by go after?" 

"These chips are worthless!" an irritated male voice spoke out loud enough.

_*SLAP!*_

"Yaaa!" a female voice cried out in pain. 

"... I see." Ryu said coldly as he slowly pulled out his PET and looked at Axl. "You want to get into trouble?"

"From what I'm hearing, he sounds like trouble that needs to be stomped on." Axl returned in an even tone. 

"Ryu! Are you nuts?" Gendo went to grab his arm, but Ryu shrugged it off. "Gendo. What's the very first thing you learned about me when you became my friend?" 

"... that you don't run from bullies or thugs." Gendo sighed.

"That's right." Ryu nodded, "I stand up to them." With that said, he walked forward toward the room where he heard the shouting come from. 

"Think we should get a teacher?" Gendo asked.

"And get Ryu in trouble too for Net Battling?" Kaede asked, "Let's go get some friends to help back us up, just in case we need to plug him out of there."

"Seeing that he hasn't net battled once, we probably will." Gendo groaned. 

* * *

Iroaya Madoi was not having a very nice first day at her new school. Classes were hard and she didn't know if she wanted to make any friends here as she wasn't sure if she'd end up moving again soon or not.

She didn't expect to get grabbed by several of these seniors, all in black clothing. She wasn't the only one as three other students had gotten grabbed as well. They were out numbered two to one. They demanded that they net battle, put up their rare chips and money as well.

She was the last one to end up having to net battle, her Net Navi was beaten rather effortlessly, as she hadn't had time to adapt to the situation. And then there was the problem that the man she fought against had so many rare chips. While she on the other hand had only...

"These chips are worthless!" her opponent declared as he looked at her chip folder. Before she could say anything, he hit her across her face. She fell backwards against the wall of the room.

"Yaaaaaaa!" she cried out, her body aching from the hit.

"Stupid Minibombs and Shotgun chips. They are worthless pieces of junk. Don't you even have any more money!" 

"Hey Hirokazu, don't you think you should turn the volume down?" one of his buddies asked. 

"Yeah, I mean what if one of the head teachers hears you blabbing?" another said.

"Oh, give me a break," Hirokazu sighed as he ran his fingers through his long blonde hair, "We've been doing this for over five years now and not once has anyone stopped us. You guys are such fraidy cats." 

"Just leave us alone... leave me alone..." Madoi muttered as tears threatened to come out.

"Did I ask you to speak, chicky!" Hirokazu snapped, as he pulled his fist back. "Now shut up and give me everything you got!" He started to take a swing at her...

Only for everyone to be surprised by the door to the room slamming open.

"How about I give _you_ what you deserve!" Ryu Shingure shouted as he kicked a plastic garbage can right at Hirokazu, making him back off of Madoi as he had to lunge to avoid it.

"Huh? What the?" one of the thugs muttered.

Ryu looked down at Madoi for a moment, "Are you alright?"

__Someone's... asking me if I'm okay?__ Madoi blinked at that. __No one's ever asked me that...__

"Well well well. If it isn't 'Paladin Shingure'" Hirokazu sneered looking at the 9th year student. "Sticking your nose in to other people's business like back in all those other year classes." 

"When I see someone hitting an innocent girl for no real reason, I make it my business," Ryu said, glaring at Hirokazu. 

"Heh," Hirokazu chuckled, "You know the only reason you never went on my radar was because you never got into my business and that was because you didn't have a PET. Now it's going to cost you a lot of money to save yourself from an ass-kicking. Boys?" 

As Hirokazu's friends started to crack their knuckles, Ryu had a smirk on his face, "Do you like to gamble Hirokazu?"

"What's that mean?" Hirokazu asked.

Ryu didn't speak. He simply pulled out his chip folder and opened it up. He laid out large zenny note denominations. He saw how Hirokazu's eyes were fixed up on the Elec, Aqua, and Fire Sword chips, his five Mega Cannons, and the thousand zenny he had put down on the table. 

"One match. You get all of this if you win and you can hurt me if you want but you let everyone walk out of here without any further harm regardless if I win or lose." Ryu said.

Hirokazu looked at the haul he could get at this and saw what Ryu was willing to put on the line for it all. __He's trying to make it out to be much cooler than I am. Well I am not going to look like a wimp in front of this guy.__ "Deal. And if you win..." He pulled out of his chip folder and placed three chips down. "You get these."

Ryu saw the chips that he placed down. Variable Sword, Gaia Blade, and Fighter Sword. 

"Agreed." Ryu told him.

"Of course, without a PET, you're so screwed," Hirokazu sneered. 

Ryu smirked as he held up his black PET, "You were saying, wise guy?"

__No way! No PET guy finally got one! ... I should have realized he wasn't just a dumb collector when he started making this bet... no matter. My Navi will crush what ever he's got.__ "Okay then hero. Let's get it on." 

Both young men went to the terminal and pulled out their PETs ready to begin the Net Battle.

"PLUG-IN, TANKMAN.EXE, TRANSMISSION!"

"PLUG-IN, AXL.EXE, TRANSMISSION!"

**To Be Continued...**


	4. Chapter 3: Ryu and Axl’s First Net Battl...

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I wish I did own Axl but sadly he too belongs to Capcom (for those of you that don't know, he comes from the upcoming Rockman/Megaman X7 game for the PS2). I do own Ryu Shingure and all other non Capcom characters. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series._

**The Road Not Shown  
By David Knight**

**Chapter Three: Ryu and Axl's First Net Battle**

When Axl materialized inside of the area designated for the battle sight, he got a good look at his opponent.

It was ten feet tall to him, and instead of feet it had tank treads. Its metal was colored green all over. It had two arms that looked like rocket launchers. Its chest had machine gun mounted on it. Even its face was a weapon, as it had long nose barrel cannon.

"Cry in terror and fear, puny Net Navi! I Tankman will delete you!" it bellowed.

"... oh you have to be slagging kidding me!" Axl groaned in disgust. "Ryu, you can't possibly want me to fight a worthless Net Navi like him do you?" 

'Worthless! How dare you talk about my mighty warrior like that!' Hirokazu snapped.

"Yup. He definitely gets his ego from his operator." Axl mused. 

'Axl, you ready to kick this Navi's rear end?' Ryu asked.

"If it helps me move on to fighting more challenging Net Navis I'm all for it," Axl sighed, "Binary Boy here won't last five minutes and that's being gracious."

"WHY YOU WHELP!" Tankman roared. "BE DELETED!!! ROCKET BOOMERS FIRE!!!" 

Axl saw the launched rockets and just smirked as he jumped up to avoid them.

"What?!" Tankman roared.

"You are too slow, you know that?" Axl taunted as he jumped over to another building like structure, then jumped off of it before rockets hit it. "I mean, I could dodge you for eternity." 

"Shut up!" Tankman snapped as he fired another salvo of rockets.

"Missed again, slow poke." Axl taunted.

'Tankman! Let him have it!'

"TOTAL UNLOAD!!" the Net Navi roared as he fired everything he had at Axl, who was now on the run, trying avoid all of this. He made his way behind a building structure, one that was hit by the barrage. 

It exploded on impact. 

'Yes! Haha! Looks like all of this loot is ours, Tankman!' Hirokazu sneered.

"Foolish Net Navi. He had no chance against me." Tankman said boastfully.

"Who's fooling who stumpy?"

"What..." Tankman muttered as he looked up and saw someone.

Axl was on another building structure, totally unscathed.

'Impossible! You can't possibly be that fast!' Hirokazu gasped. 

"I'm a lot more than fast," Axl returned.

'Tankman, attack!' Hirokazu snapped.

Tankman went to go up and fire off a rocket, only to find that he had none left. In fact, he was out of ammo. "Oh no..."

Axl finally let out a smile. "I knew it. I had a feeling you only won your fights by unloading every cheap weapon you had in you. You would be without your default weapons until you plug out and recharge." The smile got wider. "Of course if you do that, you lose this match and my operator and I win." 

"No!" Tankman gasped.

"And now..." Axl said, his smile dropping as he materialized his default weapons, "It's my turn to go on the offensive!" He raised Suzaku and jumped off of the building, but as he did, Suzaku started to glow red.

'Tankman move!' Hirozaku ordered.

"He can't move fast enough to avoid me," Axl smirked, "Eat this! Phoenix Arrow!" He pulled the trigger and a blast of red energy shaped like arrow came forth, blasting right at his opponent's chest, destroying the mounted gattling guns and causing some damage to the chest.

'Alright Axl!' Ryu smirked, 'Now let's slow the treads down.'

"And make him a real sitting duck," Axl finished, "We do think alike, Ryu." He went running side by side with Tankman, firing at the gears that operated his treads blasting them apart. 

'I won't stand for this!' Hirokazu spat. 'BATTLECHIP! TANK BLASTER! SLOT IN!'

Tankman suddenly gained a large mounted blaster on its back and was going to fire, however Axl's last two shots destroyed its treads, causing its weight to become unequal and became shaky.

"Hirokazu... I can't fire my weapons like this..." Tankman groaned.

'What?!' 

"Now I think it's time to end this." Axl said determinedly.

'So do I.' Ryu agreed. 'Axl, even though he said he was going to delete you, I don't want you to delete him.'

"Fine," Axl said, "But don't you think letting him off the hook regardless of being a wimp is just too much?"

'Whoever said we were letting him off the hook?' Ryu smirked, 'BATTLECHIP! ELEC SWORD! SLOT IN!' 

Axl's default weapons disappeared and his right hand became an electrical sword, having received the program. His face was confused for a moment before smirking, "I gotcha." He turned toward Tankman, a smile on his face as he rushed him at his top speed. With a battle cry he swiped down at his opponent's arms... and cleaved them off. He then cleaved off the gun turrets before they could be used.

"I don't... I don't believe..." Tankman muttered until he saw Axl with the ElecSword in his face. 

"You've lost." Axl said, his eyes narrowed at Tankman. "Now Log Out... before I delete you."

Tankman saw the eyes and truly believed that he would delete him. So he logged out. 

Axl breathed out and checked his internal clocks. "Heh. Well what do you know? Binary boy lasted longer than I thought. He lasted for three minutes and twenty-one seconds. I thought for sure I could have wrapped it up in two minutes flat."

* * *

In the real world, Hirokazu was on the ground, on his rear not believing this. "No way... no way did I just lose... It's not possible!" 

"You just did," Ryu said as he took his chip folder and his money. "And now I am going to take the chips that I just won from you."

"Ha!" Hirokazu laughed as he pulled out a knife. "No way in hell am I going to allow that!" 

"He's got a knife!" one of the students on the ground with Madoi declared. 

"Now give me your money and your PET before I make you really uncomfortable!" Hirokazu sneered. 

Ryu was wondering what to do now when suddenly he heard some one clapping.

"Such a display of authority, Hirokazu."

Everyone turned to see one of Hirokazu's thugs standing next to a person dressed in a blue suit, he looked like he was in the 11th or 12th year classes and the outfit he wore was for the Student Council. He had eyes like a wolf and his hair was short black. 

When Hirokazu saw him, the knife dropped from his hands, his face ashen. "A.. Aoshi-sama..."

"You are a disgrace to us all, Atagi," the one called Aoshi said emotionlessly. "Pick that knife up and hide it." 

To Ryu's own surprise, Hirokazu did as he was being told.

"Now hand over to him the chips. He did win them honorably." Aoshi said. 

Hirokazu did as he was told, handing over to Ryu the Variable Sword, Fighter Sword and Gaia Blade battle chips, with his head hung low the entire time.

__What's going on? One moment he's ready to go all kamikaze on me, and now he's taking orders like a trained dog from whomever this guy is,__ Ryu thought to himself.

"Now get out of my sight," Aoshi told him and Hirokazu left along with the other thugs that had been with him. Aoshi then looked toward everyone in the room. "If any of you were harmed I can assure you that those boys will be punished. I'll see to it as being president of the student council." 

Aoshi looked at Ryu and when he did he felt as if someone was trying to gaze into his soul. __Just who is this guy?__

"You seem to be an honorable net battler." Aoshi said, "Perhaps some time our paths will cross."

"Perhaps they will." Ryu returned, his own eyes staring right back at the man before he left.

"Oh wow. Aoshi-sama is so cool." One of the girls by Madoi said awestruck.

"You know that guy?" Madoi asked.

"You're new so you don't know. That's Shidou Aoshi, the Student Council President."

__Shidou Aoshi...__ Ryu mused as he looked at where the man had been. __There's more to you than meets the eye.__

"Ryu!" 

Ryu looked up and saw Kaede and Gendo along with many other classmates behind them. 

"Hang on buddy! We're here to..." Gendo cried out only to stop and look as dumbfounded as everyone else when they saw no one in the room except Ryu, Madoi and the three other students. "... help you out?"

Ryu scratched the back of his head, "Sorry man, but fight's over."

"And man what a fight it was! Your Net Navi made Hirokazu's Tankman look like a snail!" the only male student that had gotten taken cried out. 

"What?!" Kaede blinked. "You beat Hirokazu?!"

"Um yeah... hey mind if we talk about this over lunch though?" Ryu asked, "I mean we only got thirty-five minutes left."

"Okay but you are definitely telling us what happened, buster!" Kaede demanded, starting to drag Ryu out but he stopped her. He looked down at Madoi and held his hand out, offering it to her.

"Iroaya Madoi?" At her blinking, Ryu said, "That's what Yuriko-sensei said your name was, wasn't it?" 

"H-hai." she said shakily as she took his hand and got up off her feet.

"Shingure Ryu." he introduced himself, "Would you like to have lunch with me and my friends?"

"... I'd like that." Madoi said with a small smile.

"Come on. I'll show you the way to the cafeteria and which food you should avoid since it comes from a terrible server," Ryu joked on the last part, eliciting a giggle from Madoi. 

"Looks like Axl's really good if he thrashed that Tankman of Hirokazu's," Gendo said to Kaede. "I mean we only managed to hold our own and force a draw when we had to fight him two years ago when we got our customs."

"Speaking of the jerk," Kaede mused, "I wonder just where he is now." 

* * *

_In the men's bathroom..._

"Forgive me Aoshi-sama..." Hirokazu pleaded on his knees, his gang behind him also on their knees.

All save for the one called Makoto, who was standing by Aoshi who looked at Hirokazu in distain, "A knife, Hirokazu? What were you thinking?" 

"I'm sorry... Aoshi-sama..." Hirokazu muttered, "It's just... I lost... I never lose... except to you Aoshi-sama."

"Indeed." Aoshi nodded, __Which makes this boy that beat you most intriguing. His first Net Battle and he mops the floor with Hirokazu. A feat only I have been able to perform.__ He looked down sternly at Hirokazu, "You will be suspended indefinitely. You do realize this. It has to be done." 

"I must repent and bring honor. I accept my fate Aoshi-sama." Hirokazu replied.

"Good," Aoshi told him, "Rujin Makoto. You will take Hirokazu's place among his gang as leader... unless anyone has any objections."

No one did.

"Good. Makoto, Remain here. The rest of you can go." Aoshi ordered them and they all left. 

"Is there something you wanted from me Aoshi-sama?" Makoto asked.

"There is," Aoshi replied, "... tell me everything you know about Shingure Ryu."

* * *

Gendo was looking over the chips that Ryu had won from Hirokazu, letting out a whistle when he saw their rarity. "Damn man! Your first ever Net Battle and you got really good chips!"

"It helped that I had Axl on my side." Ryu said modestly.

"And of course it helped that I have a good operator on mine." Axl spoke, "Thanks for the tips. They helped out in that fight."

"Ouch..." 

Ryu turned his head to see Kaede putting some ice over the side of Madoi's face that got hit by Hirokazu. "You are lucky that jerk didn't hit you really hard other wise the bruise would have been worse. The swelling should be small."

"I'm glad for that," Madoi said, "So is that jerk going get what he deserves?"

"We can only hope," Kaede mused.

"Why did he pick you Madoi?" Ryu asked.

Before she could answer Gendo did, "Hirokazu always goes after new students when ever he can, rip them off of their chips."

"... that is so low." Ryu growled.

"Paladin Shingure..." Madoi said softly.

"Huh?" Ryu blinked.

"That's what he called you," Madoi mentioned, "Why did he say that?"

"Oh that's something Ryu's gotten as a nickname," Gendo said casually, "He's always stood up against bullies and jerk weeds even if they were twice his size or several classes older than him. He just doesn't care."

"Gendo, you make it sound like I go out looking for trouble," Ryu quipped.

"And you don't?" Kaede rolled her eyes at her friend. This got a laugh from everyone, even Madoi. 

__They all sound so friendly towards one another. Like they know each other for a while. And here Ryu is helping me..._ _Madoi mused. __I could like this... I wonder what my Navi thinks of theirs though?__

* * *

All four of the teens Navis were gathered at a hub to meet. Well Axl, Artemis and Centaurman were going to meet Madoi's Navi.

She was wearing a purple bodysuit with pink and silver highlights, a star symbol was above her chest. She wore high-healed boots and her gloves were rimmed silver. Her hair was silver white while her eyes were a deep emerald. "Hello. I'm Minerva.EXE. Madoi's Navi."

Artemis had a smile on her face, "Always a pleasure to see another female Navi. Some times I don't think there are enough of us out there on the Net."

"Matrix forbid it," Centaurman said under his breath, getting an elbow in the stomach from Artemis. "Hush, horse boy."

"Axl, I want to thank you and your operator for helping Madoi," Minerva said holding her head down, "... I wasn't strong enough to help her." She suddenly felt some one lifting her head up, and that someone was Axl.

"Don't you dare feel ashamed for losing to a cheep cheating Navi like that," Axl told her flat out. "You did your best, but I can tell you haven't really practiced in battling. You need to practice."

"That obvious is it?" Minerva sighed, "With all of the moving Madoi's guardians do, she hardly has time to meet any lasting friends."

"Well maybe that will change," Centaurman said. "Our operators are very loyal friends indeed. I am certain Madoi would like them very much."

"So do I," Minerva replied.

"In the mean time," Axl said with a small smirk. "We still have thirty minutes before we got log out of here right?"

Artemis caught the smirk. "What did you have in mind Axl?"

"Hand to hand combat. No weapons, no chips," Axl challenged. "Think you could keep up with me?"

"Question should be, can you keep up with me?" Artemis smirked as she walked away from Centaurman and Minerva.

"Minerva, take notes. You could see how important it is to keep an eye out on all elements needed for battle." Axl said as he went off in a lunging run and struck at Artemis with an elbow strike, one that she blocked.

"That was strong," Artemis said holding him back.

"And you're fast," Axl returned, the two Navis breaking away from each other, staring at each other in the eyes, each having the same thought as they charged each other.

__This is going to be fun.__

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the operators plugged their Navis out of the terminal and back into their PETs. Two of them were somewhat annoyed at their actions.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going to fight?" Ryu asked his Navi.

"Because we didn't want you to send any battle chips," Axl told his operator, "It wouldn't have been fair. Besides, I got a much better work out sparing with Artemis than I did fighting tankboy."

"He outlasted you?!"

Ryu turned to look at Kaede, who was in disbelief at the apparent result of Artemis and Axl's contest. "He beat you... a newborn navi beat you in hand to hand combat!"

"I'd like to see you fight someone for thirty minutes straight in hand to hand combat," Artemis defended herself. "Axl knows how to fight and he can fight damn good. He could win the N1 Grand Prix."

"The N1 Grand Prix?" Ryu blinked.

"For someone that has been going on about wanting to net battle since the fifth year, you are really clueless about some things, buddy," Gendo sighed.

"The N1 Grand Prix is Japan's national net battling tournament. All the best Net battlers in Japan attend and this is its fifth year. Eguchi Meijin was the first ever winner of it." Kaede explained.

"Eguchi Meijin," Ryu breathed, "The guy is only in his twenties and he's one the worlds leading experts in Navi creation."

"Why am I not surprised he knew about Eguchi Meijin," Gendo shook his head, "I mean you do live in a laboratory half of the year."

"Live in a lab?" Madoi blinked.

"My grandfather's a scientist and I live with him," Ryu said, looking at Madoi, hoping that she wouldn't ask why not live with his parents. Strangely enough, she didn't ask that question. __... weird... its almost as if... she understands me.__ As they were walking through the masses to go to class they heard them speaking.

"Hey did you hear about Hirokazu?" "Yeah I did! He's going to be suspended!"

Hearing that, all four of them decided to listen and try to figure out more but it was pretty much the same. At the end of the day, they learned from a teacher that what they heard in the halls was true; Atagi Hirokazu was suspended from Central Densan High until further notice.

"This is too weird. It's not even been day and he's suspended." Kaede mused.

"As if he didn't deserve it." Madoi snorted.

"Well the buses are here and we better get moving unless we want to miss going home," Gendo said, "Catcha tomorrow, guys."

"Later, Gendo." Ryu said to his leaving friend. He looked over at Madoi, "So we'll see you in homeroom and for lunch again tomorrow Madoi?"

"Um... if you want..." Madoi said sheepishly.

"Well of course," Ryu said good naturedly, "I mean, why would I want to have lunch with a friend?"

"... Ryu-kun... arigatou..." Madoi said with much emotion as she left for her bus.

"That is one weird girl." Kaede mused.

"She isn't weird. Just shy, I think." Ryu offered. 

"Well I'll be heading back to Shinjuku now. See ya tomorrow Ryu-kun," Kaede smiled before leaving.

Ryu smiled at her and was ready to leave but then stopped. 

"Ryu-kun? What is it?" Axl asked.

"I feel like... someone's watching me..." Ryu muttered but then heard his bus pulling way, "Shimitta! Not again! Hey wait!" he shouted running after the bus.

* * *

From the second floor of the school, Aoshi watched Ryu intently, remembering everything Makoto had told him. __Parents dead, living with a scientist grandfather, has never had a PET until today. That means either the Navi is exceptional, the operator is, or both are.__

"Aoshi-sama, are you really worried about this boy?" a female voice spoke to him.

Aoshi looked down at his black PET and let off a smile as he looked at his Navi. Some had called it strange that he would have a female Navi; however, she was ten times better than any male one in his eyes. Dressed in all black, wearing a mask that covered all but her eyes, ones that were hazel and looking coyly at him. "No Kodachi. I thought it might be nice to have someone who is actually a challenge."

"Blues-san was a challenge. Why don't we fight him again, Aoshi-sama?" Kodachi asked sweetly.

"Because his operator is a brat," Aoshi said in disgust, __Even though Blues is an exceptional Navi. He's the only one Kodachi's ever lost to.__ "Also, this one might prove to be useful."

"Do you want to challenge him now Aoshi-sama?" 

Aoshi closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating the answer to that question before giving it, "No. I think further study is needed. Makoto and his group will do that for us."

"And once we do know his capabilities Aoshi-sama?" Kodachi asked.

A cruel smile formed on Aoshi's lips, "Then my dear Kodachi, we'll simply challenge him and crush him."

* * *

At the Wily home, grandson and grandfather were enjoying a dinner together as the grandson talked about his day, the grandfather looked at the battle chips won.

"You do know you had a lot to lose," Wily stated.

"Are you saying I should have been more concerned about losing?" Ryu asked, taking a bite out of his dinner, only to get bopped on the head by Wily. "Hey gramps! What did you do that for?"

"Foolish boy. Wagering that much you should have at least demanded that he give you five rare chips with one of them being a level five," Wily reprimanded him. "Have I thought you nothing about negotiation?" 

Ryu stared at his grandfather in disbelief for a while until he broke out into laughter, laughter that his grandfather joined him in. After a while they calmed down, and had finished their dinners, Ryu spoke again, "Axl filled me in on how you created him during the day."

"He asked, I told him," Axl said with a smirk, "So far I am running according to the specifications I was programmed for."

"That's good to hear. If you have any glitches let me know at once," Wily said.

"We'll I'm going up to study and finish some homework. Then I'm going to sort out my chip folder to put in these new additions before going to sleep." Ryu said as he took his PET off of the table, "Night Gramps."

"Good night, Doctor Wily." Axl responded.

"Good night boys." Wily said, watching them go upstairs. However Wily was in thought with a smile on his face_, _His first Net Battle and he won with ease, not even needing to use the GetAbility program. It shows how strong he is... I wonder when he will end up using that program.__ He folded his hands, the smirk never leaving his face, __One thing is certain... when he does use it, it will be something to remember.__

**To Be Continued...**


	5. Chapter 4: An ‘Innocent’ Night of Hackin...

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I wish I did own Axl but sadly he too belongs to Capcom (for those of you that don't know, he comes from the upcoming Rockman/Megaman X7 game for the PS2). I do own Ryu Shingure and all other non Capcom characters. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series._

**The Road Not Shown  
By David Knight**

**Chapter Four: An 'Innocent' Night of Hacking**

_'It's been a week now since Gramps gave me Axl. We don't call each other by name with using –kun or –sama, just doesn't feel right to us. We feel more equal and comfortable just calling each other by our first names.'_

_'Ever since we beat Hirokazu, we've kind of gained a name for ourselves and have attracted quite a bit of people challenging us to Net Battles. Some were from Hirokazu's former gang, while others have been just other classmates from the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth year classes. We have yet to be beaten. Most of them were fairly easy, which gives further proof that Gramps really did a hell of a job in making Axl the fighter that he is.'_

_'There have been a few that were challenging; however, we find that our best and most rewarding battles have come from sparing with Gendo's Centaurman and Kaede's Artemis. Axl's been training a bit with Artemis this week, learning how to fight with swords with a level higher than average. Using guns and blaster type weapons Axl is a master at, but he wants to be able to use sword chips better than he can currently. Artemis can beat him in a purely sword to sword fight, though he is getting increasingly better with each day training with her. I can see the wisdom to why he's doing it though. There are Navis that specialize in sword use and we would be at a disadvantage fighting them. Better to have Axl have a wide range so that he's able to adapt to the situation as it warrants it.'_

_'The same applies to me, as this last week I too have been learning, on how to be an operator. I haven't had Axl for a long time, not as long as Gendo, Kaede or even our new friend Madoi has had hers, but I feel very much attached to Axl. He's now become a part of my life, a constant companion that I don't ever want to lose.'_

_'Speaking of Madoi, Axl sometimes kids to me that I look at her strangely sometimes. I just go back and tell him 'What about you and Minerva? You're spending time training her in how to fight?' He denies any such human notion that I would have about what he's doing.'_

_'In either case, life is definitely not boring for us. I think I'm going to turn in for now though. Gramps already left the lab an hour ago to get sleep and I should get some too. I do have class tomorrow... I'm actually wondering if Aoshi is going to pop up out of nowhere. I haven't seen him since I heard Hirokazu was going to be suspended and I know he had a hand in it. I just don't see the connection though. Why would a Student Council President associate himself with a thug like Hirokazu?'_

_'I'll worry about it in the morning. Better to think after having gotten some sleep. Ja ne.'_

Ryu shut down the journal program that he had on lab computers and relaxed back. He knew he should get some sleep, but he just felt like checking the net a little bit. __Just five minutes, then sleep._ _As he was looking through the Net though, he ended up seeing something on the lab computers directory. 

__What is this?__ He wondered as he clicked on it. 

Suddenly the screen showed net travel and when it was done Ryu saw where he was linked in.

"SciLabs?!" he breathed, "There is a link into SciLabs?!" __I don't believe this! How! Why! Why would Gramps have something like this on his computer?__ Ryu tried to figure out why, his mind trying to wrap around it, __... Gramps has hacked into other places before. Nothing really dangerous, mostly to find out about new research that's going on in the field... it really isn't illegal so long as you don't get caught...__

The more he thought about it, a smile started to form on his lips, __And SciLabs is second only to Cassock Labs in Navi projects. There could be a lot going on in there. A lot that I could learn._ _

As he stared at the screen he came to a decision, "What's the harm in just taking a peak... just this once?" He went over to his PET, "Axl?"

"Yeah?"

"I got a job I would like you to do for me."

* * *

When Axl materialized into the SciLabs system, he wasn't very impressed by what he saw. "Place looks pretty basic to me. Almost like a ghost town though. There aren't any programs at all running. Not even security ones."

'Well it is past midnight now,' Ryu said, 'If Gramps knew I was hacking into SciLabs right now, I think he'd have a cow.'

"Can I ask what exactly the point of hacking into here was again, Ryu?" Axl asked.

'Well, for one thing, I'm kinda interested in seeing just what new Navi projects are being cooked up here. A lot of Navi work comes from SciLabs and not much gets released to the general public.' Ryu explained. 'I'm kinda hoping to take a peak.'

"You mean you want to download anything you find interesting and study it?" Axl quipped. "You do realize that if we get caught, we are going to be so screwed."

'Which is why I really don't want to look into protected areas,' Ryu replied, 'Try doing searches for failed programs or discontinued projects.'

Axl caught on to that. "Like to tinker with junk do you?"

'Like my father always said,' Ryu said fondly of his father, though there was a pang of sadness when remembering him, 'One mans junk is another man's treasure.'

* * *

Unbeknownst to Ryu and Axl, they were not as alone in the SciLabs system. Another Navi soon materialized in a different section of the system. This Net Navi was definitely designed to look like a ninja, that much could be seen by his dark purple attire and the katana strapped behind his back. He had a lean build but the way he stood showed his strength. Nothing could be seen of his face save for two dark eyes.

"I am in. Instructions?" the Navi asked his client.

'Downloading the schematics to you now. Be certain not to set off the silent alarm systems that have been marked. If you do you'll have SciLab Security on top of you in sixty seconds.'

"I am a ninja. I don't get caught." The Navi retorted.

'Yes, but that was because you were designed that way.' The client spoke, 'Time is wasting Shadowman. I expect results.'

"And I always deliver to my clients what they want," Shadowman complied before blending in with his surroundings. Though it seemed like he had vanished from sight, he had in fact camouflaged himself with his present environment.

All the better to steal what he had been contracted to steal.

* * *

"I'm in," Axl reported to his operator as he went sorting through the files of the 'Shelved Projects', " 'Virus Bait Program', 'Navi Baby System'... Ryu all of this is junk!"

'... I had to admit it but you got a point. Most of this stuff does sound like really useless stuff,' Ryu replied.

"I'm almost ready to pack it in," Axl muttered, "I mean it is so slagging not worth getting caught all over pieces of junk like..." he trailed off as he was shutting the drawer shut, yet his eyes caught sight of one file in the back. He opened the cabinet up and went looking into it.

'What is it Axl?'

"I think I found what you were looking for Ryu." Axl's lips formed into a smirk, "How does 'Virus Breeder Project' sound to you?"

'Virus Breeder Project?' Ryu blinked, his shock definitely shown in his voice.

"Apparently it was a project set up to take in Viruses that were Benign on the Net and raise them in a machine called a breeder. Once caught, a chip could be created to summon the captured Viruses," Axl read off the file, "In this machine, the viruses could be made stronger by feeding them Bug Fragments. In theory weaker versions of a virus could be made as strong as their more advanced versions."

'Are the schematics for the Breeder in that file?' Ryu asked.

"No. There in another section, but it's still not sensitive material," Axl replied, "Apparently they don't think this idea could work."

From his end Ryu had a smirk on his face, 'It would be a really big deal if a teenager managed to get a project that was deemed a failure by people twice his age to work, now wouldn't it?'

Axl matched the smirk, "I'll get started on finding the Breeder schematics once I finish downloading all of the research data they have on the project here."

* * *

In the more secure sector of SciLabs, Shadowman had just made his way into the mainframe system. There was the most advanced security system that they had, a laser light system in which if even a single bar had been touched it would set off the entire system and alert the Net Agents to come at once to SciLab.

For Shadowman, he couldn't help but feel that they could have made it just a bit harder for him as he gracefully glided through the bars from one end of the room to the other. Once at the terminal he was able to disengage the bars so that his return trip would be easier.

__So this is their mainframe,__ the Ninja Navi mused. He pulled out a Kunai blade and jammed it into the screen. Normally the blade would have damaged the system. This Kunai however was designed to act as a hacking tool, allowing him to interface into the system even further and take what he wanted.

It took him all of two minutes to download the desired files. 

"It's done," Shadowman reported.

'Excellent. Return back to your original entry point. Plugging out immediately will only bring attention.' 

"As if there was anyone to see me to begin with," Shadowman shook his head as he walked back the way he came, thinking this job would run as smoothly and as dully as all the others.

He had no way of knowing he would be proven wrong ninety seconds later.

* * *

_In yet another sector of the SciLab system..._

"What a haul!" cried out a youthful voice. 

"Hey quiet!" said a basic Net Navi, one of three who looked like they were down on their luck. "Just because you cleaned us out yet again doesn't mean you can jump for joy."

"Yeah, if someone one sees us here, my gambling spot will be compromised," another one said to owner of the voice.

It was a custom Net Navi that wore golden boots but that was it as most of his body was white while the upper part of his torso was pixilated black to look like he was wearing a black t-shirt. His hair was spikey and gold. His eyes were two blue orbs and in the center of his forehead was a circle that was red and blue with a white star in the middle of it. He just smirked at them, "You guys just worry too much." Holding up a glowing card he saw the number reading now on it. "Wahoo!!! I'm up to two hundred and seventy five thousand zenny!"

"Can't we just ban him from coming back?" the last of the basic Navi's asked.

"And lose my chances to get my zenny back from that kid," the gambling operator asked, "You're nuts."

"Well it's been fun boys," the Custom Navi smiled wide, "Let's do this again next week. Seeya!" With that the Navi just started flying off and away. __Oh wow! Those guys really suck at playing poker! They'd even suck worse at fighting! I'd much rather beat the bits off them in a game of poker and rob them of their zenny then beat up weaklings. Much more profitable that way.__ The navi closed his eyes as he hummed a little ditty, "No one's gonna stop me, no one's gone to stop me now! Oh-oh! No one's gonna--"

***THUD!***

The next thing the Navi realized was that he had literally run into something. As he started to pick himself off the ground he saw that he had run into a ninja type of Navi who had… well he couldn't say surprised since his face was covered by a mask. He was a stoic that was for sure. The Navi scratched the back of his head, "Heh-heh. Sorry about that man. Name's Starman. And you are?"

"Omae o Korosu!" was the only reply Starman got as the Navi slashed at him with his very long sword. Seeming to cut him in half, however Starman reappeared behind him.

"I take it saying I'm sorry isn't going to help here is it?" Starman asked. The Ninja slashing at him yet again was his answer. "Guess not."

* * *

Axl was now at a terminal that had virtually no security at all protecting it. It was here that the blueprints for building a Virus Breeder in the real world were located.

'How's the download coming?'

"About 90% completed. I should have the rest in less than a minute," Axl replied, "You want me to log out immediately once I got it?"

'No. Even though we've run into lousy security thus far there's no reason to tempt the fates,' Ryu said, 'Better to go back through the gateway entrance you came through and then I'll plug out.'

"Understood." Axl acknowledged as he withdrew his disk from the system. "File's fully downloaded."

'Good. Now start heading back towards...'

***BOOM!***

"What the?" Axl muttered.

'Axl what is it?' Ryu asked.

"I think someone else is here," Axl said as he had his default weapons materialize. He was cautious as he walked out from the closed in area that he was into a more open area...

Where he was greeted to the sight of ninja type Net Navi trying to slice and dice a smaller golden haired Navi.

"Hey I said I was sorry for bumping into you!" the kid sized Navi snapped, "Don't you think you're going over board with trying to delete me because of that!"

"You won't live to tell about me being here, kid," the ninja Navi said coldly as he tried again to slash through the other Navi but he just vanished to another spot.

Axl had a blank look on his face as he just watched the almost comical chase. "Ryu... are you getting this."

'... You know this reminds me of those old Roadrunner and Wild E Coyote cartoons,' Ryu muttered.

"What?" Axl asked, not knowing what his operator was talking about.

'Forget it.' Ryu shrugged, 'So what do you want to do?'

"What do you want to do?" Axl asked.

'Hey I asked you first, Axl. I asked you to go into SciLabs for me,' Ryu returned, 'Now I am asking you what do you want to do?'

Axl just looked on at the scene for a few moments until a smirk formed on his face, "I'd like to have some fun if you don't mind."

He could feel the excitement in his operator's voice when he gave his reply, 'I have my folder at the ready. Have a party.'

"Thanks." Axl said as he started to make his way toward the scene, intent on taking a side in this fight he was seeing.

* * *

__Kuso! Why doesn't this little rat stay still and die?_ _Shadowman thought as he tried yet again to attack with his sword, and yet again to see Starman vanish before the blow could be delivered.

"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!" Starman jeered.

__I'll admit this little brat is more skilled than I gave him credit, but now his luck is going to run out.__ Shadowman decided it was time to pull out all of the stops as he decided to try again to attack with his sword, only this time he was the one to vanish.

"Huh?!" Starman blinked as he looked up and saw three Shadowmans come down at him, he flew fast yet this time one of the Shadowmans threw a large throwing star at him. It grazed his backside and he fell to the ground. "YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOUCH!!!" he cried out in pain as he turned around slowly to see the Shadowmans, "That actually hurt..."

"You were supposed to be deleted," all three Shadowmans returned, pulling out their swords. "I can assure you though, I won't miss this time."

Starman thought this might be an end to him, however neither he nor Shadowman was expecting blaster fire to come down upon the Shadowmans, which went through the middle and right ones, making them dissolve into after images while the one on the left, the real Shadowman, staggered forward a bit.

"How about you fight someone that can fight back?" a new voice spoke out.

Shadowman looked up and saw a black and red Navi come down from another building, two guns in his hands, looking at Shadowman. Shadowman looked back in turn, "You shouldn't have attacked me. Now you'll have to be deleted as well."

"I doubt that," the new Navi returned, "Most people that have said that to me have usually ended up defeated. I'm hoping you'll give me more of a challenge, especially since you look like you aren't all talk."

"Hmph. I am Shadowman," he said as he threw out three small throwing stars at the Navi with incredible speed, "and I let my actions speak for myself." 

The Navi, to his surprise, actually managed to dodge them at the last split second. "You can call me Axl. Do me a favor and take me seriously."

Shadowman nodded, as he could see in this Navi's eyes the desire to fight, to test himself and had power to back him up, "So be it."

* * *

Axl saw Shadowman coming at him with his throwing stars and he knew he had to run to avoid them. He tried firing off his default weapons at Shadowman but the ninja navi was able to avoid them by pulling a trick or two. __He's good. A lot better than most of the Navis I've gone up against.__ Looking around for his opponent he saw he had disappeared. __Where is he?__

"Above you!" the kid Navi shouted out to him.

"Huh?" Axl blinked as he saw three Shadowmans come down upon him. Axl jumped away but felt a slash come down at him across his left shoulder. The Shadowmans decided then to each throw at him a very large throwing star. "Uh-oh..."

'BATTLECHIP! BARRIER! SLOT IN!'

A protective field protected Axl just as the three stars impacted upon it. The field fell then but it had served its purpose. Axl slightly smiled, "Thanks for the back up Ryu," he looked grimly at Shadowman, "However this guy is definitely the toughest Navi we've come across just yet."

'I know,' Ryu agreed, 'Your default weapons won't work in this type of fight. Our only chance is to fight him in close quarters.'

"Figured as much," Axl muttered as he looked on at the three Shadowmans coming his way. "However I'm going to need to even the odds up a bit here since he's got me at a distinct disadvantage. I need a Sword Chip."

'And I got just the one for you,' Ryu smirked, 'BATTLECHIP! VARIABLE SWORD! SLOT IN!'

On Axl's right hand, the sword program had been downloaded to him and the image of a bright translucent sword appeared attached to it. __Perfect! Now here's to seeing how my training with Artemis using Sword chips has paid off.__ He flashed a smirk to Shadowman, "There's one too many of you for my tastes. Let me make the odds a bit more even. Wave Slash!"

Shadowman was unprepared for the black red wave of energy that came right from Axl's sword. It crashed into all three of them, dissolving all but the center one, who crashed into a building structure. He didn't give off any pain however as he got up. __Impressive... I can't remember the last time someone actually got off a hit like that on me.__ Still he wasn't going to lose. He had a job to finish. Vanishing again, he came up above Axl, but not with any of his copies. "Let's see if you can stand up to the power of my Muramasa!"

"Fighter Sword!" Axl called out, and the Variable Sword changed to that sword, clashing against Shadowman's sword. Energies started to spark as it was becoming a test of will, whose will was stronger, who wouldn't give up. Both Navis eyes locked on to the other, and in each other they saw their strengths and there was a mutual respect for the other's skills.

__Still, I don't have time to play fair... a pity.__ Shadowman mused as he prepared to pull out a kunai with his free hand to strike at his foe.

"Uhuhuh! Didn't you ever learn to play by the rules?"

Shadowman looked up to see the kid Navi up in the air and right in his face.

"Payback time," the kid smirked, raising his right hand,  "Star Arrow!"

Shadowman had to vanish at once to get out of the way of the attack, dropping his own sword in the process, when he reappeared in the air, he spotted his weapon and went immediately to retrieve it.

Only problem was that he had become a sitting duck.

"Wave Slash!" Axl smirked as he used the Variable Sword's attack yet again, hitting Shadowman hard and sending him crashing into a building structure. "I think that did it."

"Hey man." Axl turned around to see the kid Navi behind him. "That was a way cool fight! You sure aren't a weakling. Thanks for helping me out. By the way, you can call me Starman."

"Mind telling me why that ninja was trying to delete you?" Axl asked.

The Navi shrugged, "All I did was bump into him by accident and he went all postal. Other than that I don't know why."

"It was because you saw me..." both of them turned to face Shadowman, "Both of you have seen me here and I cannot allow anyone to tell my being here in SciLabs."

"So you hacked your way in here then," Axl realized.

"As if you two didn't do the same," Shadowman retorted.

Axl blinked and looked at Starman who was now in the air, "Yeah well think it's obvious you are the real bad guy here, so say good bye, ya jerk!" He raised his hands up as he threw them down he yelled, "Star Rain!"

For the first second nothing happened. But then hundreds of stars started to fall from the sky and were hurtling towards Shadowman, in disbelief but knew to get the hell out of the way before he got hit. However even with his skills, he was damaged somewhat by the attack.

"Oh dang it... I missed," Starman sighed.

"YOU IDIOT!!!" Shadowman roared, his own temper getting the better of him. "Look at what you just did!"

Starman looked as if he didn't do anything wrong but then looked at where his attack had gone... and saw that he had wrecked a sizeable chunk of the area that had been hit by his attack. 

"Matrix..." Axl muttered, a bit in disbelief that a Navi of Starman's size had that much power. __That'll teach me not underestimate anyone based on size for keeps.__

Starman's eyes bulged out a bit, "...uh-oh!"

Suddenly before anyone of the three Navis could move several other Navis started teleporting into the area. They looked normal but as more Navis started to appear they could see one or two custom models.

"Freeze!" was the command from one of the Navis, "As members of SciLab security we order you to remain where you are! You will be interrogated and held until we find the illegal Navi that hacked into the central mainframe."

Axl and Starman looked at each other, without words just asking themselves the same question. When they got the answer they both pointed to Shadowman, "He did it!"

"Oro?!" Shadowman blinked.

"Huh?" the security navis looked as confused as Shadowman did.

"Hey come on here! Do we look sinister and evil to you guys?" Starman laid it on thick, "I mean I'm almost kawaii, black and red here looks heroic," he glared at the Ninja Navi, "But this guy just screams evil! I saw him blow up that sector! He tried to delete me so he could get out of here without leaving any witnesses! He's the one you want!"

Shadowman looked on at the security Navis, "... Oh don't even tell me you are going to listen to this obnoxious half pint brat who..."

"He's definitely sounds like he comes from the Ura Net," the lead security Navi declared, "Get him before he escapes!" 

"I don't _believe_ this..." Shadowman muttered, as he had to avoid blaster fire from all sides. 

Starman laughed as he saw Shadowman trying to get away, "Now this is fun." He turned to Axl, "Don't ya think?"

"Well..." Axl was about to give his answer when he saw he and Starman were surrounded. "Slag."

"You said it," Starman agreed.

"You two are also going to be taken for questioning as well." The Security Navi said.

"I think not..." Axl returned. __Anytime now, Ryu...__

'BATTLECHIP! MINI BOMBS! SLOT-IN! BATTLECHIP! AREA STEAL! SLOT-IN!'

Axl felt the Mini Bombs in his hands and threw them to the ground creating the smoke screen for him. Taking Starman with him, he used the Area Steal to get far outside of their range. 

"Whoa... now that's twice you've helped me." Starman muttered. __I don't get it, why did he help me? No one's ever stuck their neck out for me before. Why this guy?__

"I need a way out of here, buddy," Axl spoke to his operator.

'Not good. There are too many Navis by the entrance that you jacked into. I had to disconnect that gate otherwise they would have found it and made their way here.'

"So I have to find another way out of here and back home," Axl groaned, "Perfect."

"Hey what's your problem?" Starman asked innocently, "You want out just follow me."

"Huh?" Axl asked as he saw Starman create an arrow like star, which he stepped onto.

"Get on already," Starman told him. Hesitantly but seeing no other options Axl did that. "Now hold on!" 

"What do you—" was all Axl got to say as they took off like a shooting star, the arrow they were on was like skateboard with rockets.

"Stargate Activate!" Starman smirked. A sonic boom accompanied them and suddenly they were gone, out of the SciLab systems.

* * *

The next thing Axl knew, they were in a totally different net area. The arrow slowed down and once the two Navis got off the arrow vanished. "What in the Matrix was that?!" he asked Starman.

"My little built in trick. One of a kind ability. By flying fast enough on my Star Arrow, I can travel into any system undetected, provided I've left a Star Marker there first." Starman explained.

"And how did you get into SciLabs to begin with?" Axl asked.

"Oh I've been going there for a year now," Starman said nonchalantly.

"A year?" Axl blinked. "For what?"

"To gamble of course," Starman smirked as he held up his card, "I'm up to two hundred and seventy-five thousand zenny now. Granted I've spent half of that amount during this last year but I made it enough to get it back. Winning at poker is so easy for me."

"...You were in there just for _money_? Nothing else?" Axl asked in disbelief.

"Yeah... say want to play me?" Starman asked with a smile.

"Eh... think I'll pass on that," Axl scratched the back of his head. 

'Axl, you okay?'

"Yeah I am, Ryu," Axl said. "Thanks to Starman."

"Ryu... whose's Ryu?" Starman blinked.

"My operator..." Axl paused, realizing something, "So, what about you? What's your operator like?"

Starman waved his hand dismissingly, "What operator? I'm my own Navi."

'What... a self-operating Navi... unbelievable...'

"Ryu?" Axl asked.

'I had heard about Navis existing on the Net without Operators, but until now I never met one.' Ryu muttered.

"Anyway Axl, you so totally rock." Starman said.

Axl had a slight smirk on his face, "You're not bad yourself Starman. That Star Rain of yours is pretty cool."

"Hey I still owe for helping me out back there. If there's anything I could do..." Starman trailed off, "Well anything that doesn't involve me giving you any zenny..."

'Axl. Ask Starman if he'll come with you to my computer.'

"Why not the lab computer?" Axl asked.

'Rather I do this on my computer and not on the Labs, because then there will be a record of it and then Gramps will figure out what we did tonight.' Ryu replied, 'I got an idea on how Starman could pay us back and it wouldn't cost him a single zenny.'

Axl soon felt his operator leave and knew he was heading to his own computer so he decided to relay the offer to Starman.

The reply: "Won't cost me any zenny?!" Starman said, mouth gaping, "Well what are we waiting for, kemosabe! Lead the way because this I have to see!"

* * *

Ryu had only got his computer up and running and set to the default system when he saw Axl arrive along with the Navi he assumed was Starman.

"So you're Starman," Ryu said, "Nice to see you in person."

"You flatter me," Starman beamed, "I like you already. So what's this idea you got in mind. I mean anything that doesn't cost a zenny is either worthwhile or a wild goose chase.

"Well your attacks are pretty impressive," Ryu started to say as he plugged his PET into a black system box that was connected to his computer. Once that was done he pulled out several blank chips, "So I was wondering if you could send Data of your attacks to me. I'll use these blank Battlechips to create a battlechip for that attack." 

"A Battlechip, chips, based on my attacks?" Starman blinked.

"Well yeah," Ryu said, "If you aren't alright with that..."

"What are you insane?!" Starman snapped, "I _love_ that idea! It's great! Chips made of me! It's like a form of immortality! Best form of flattery! Hey Axl, don't ever lose this human! He's great!"

"Um... don't ever plan on it..." Axl muttered, not believing how happy go lucky Starman was acting now. __He really does act like a child a lot yet he's got power to match it.__

Ryu was similarly in shock but got over it as he had a smile on his face, "Well let's get started." 

"Yeah!" Starman agreed. 

It took a while, but once they were done Ryu ended up with four new Battlechips, each of them having Starman's image on them doing different things. The chips were Hexagon Arrow, which could be used to fire off arrows out in eight directions but they travel slowly; Star Rain was a definite chip to have, seeing as how the stars rained down from the sky and seemed almost impossible to avoid. Star Arrow, which was a single arrow attack that traveled very fast, but could also be used to ride on as a mode of transport. Finally, there was Star Warp, for a limited time one could instantly teleport from one position to another, but only in a limited area so it was more or less geared for use in battle when trying to confuse an enemy.

"Thanks, Starman," Ryu said.

"Hey the pleasure was mine," Starman smiled, "Well I gotta get going." He looked over at Axl, "Catcha around, Axl. We definitely gotta meet up again some time."

Axl smiled back, "Sounds good friend. Maybe next time I can show you to the rest of my friends."

Starman blinked at that, "... friend... are you saying... we're friends?"

"Well... yeah," Axl said, not understanding the confusing, "There something wrong?"

__No one... no one's ever asked... ever said they were my friend... maybe...__ Starman shook his head, __No not maybe. It **would** be nice to have a friend, rather than Navis you can beat the bits off of in poker.__

"Starman?" Axl asked.

Starman got back to reality when hearing his name called, "Sorry man. Kinda went drifting for a moment... but yeah. I'd like that." Calling up his Star Arrow, he got on it and flashed a wide smile, "Catcha later, friends!" With that he left them as he gated out of Ryu's system.

"Think it's time to call it a night," Ryu yawned.

"Definitely. You go get some sleep while I download the files on the Virus Breeder." Axl said.

"Yosh! I totally forgot about that during all of this," Ryu exclaimed, "But it was a great night, got some new chips, a new project to work with..."

"And I got a new, albeit slightly weird, friend ... but you're still worried on something aren't you?" Axl stated.

"Yeah," Ryu admitted, "It's Shadowman. Just what was he doing in there, and what did he take?"

"I don't know, but it does make me wonder," Axl said.

"With any luck, the security Navis got him," Ryu replied.

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"... See you in the morning Axl. I definitely need to get some sleep." Ryu sighed as he went to bed.

Though he didn't give an answer, Axl knew what his operator would have said. It was the same thing he believed.

It would have been no.

* * *

He was late and he knew it. 

__Stupid security Navis... the sheer number of them was a problem in itself.__ Shadowman growled as he had gained moderate damage in his escape from them. The only reason he had even that damage from such low level Navis was because of that brat Navi's cheep shot, but more so it was because of his fight with Axl.

__Its been a while since I went up against such a worthy opponent.__ Shadowman mused. __What concerns me though is that he feels like he's a newborn. How can a newborn be that good?__

'You're late.'

Shadowman looked up at the monitor in his personal space on the net, the place he called his home. On there was his client, kept in the shadows, "I ran into unexpected variables."

'Net Agents?'

"Unknown. Perhaps you can tell me," Shadowman showed images of Starman and Axl to his client.

'I have never seen them before. They don't work for us; however, we will keep record of them.' The client said, 'It never hurts to keep a list of possible annoyances.' He folded his hands. 'I am assuming you have the package.'

Shadowman nodded as he then began to transmit what he stole. "I'll expect my payment for the data in the account we discussed."

'Of course. I shall contact you again if I or anyone in my organization shall require your special services.' The client then hung up.

Shadowman laid down on his futon, resting and healing from his injuries. He didn't care what his clients did with the data he gave them. It wasn't his job to care. Times like this he was glad to be a mercenary. It meant he didn't belong to any one side of anything.

It was that freedom that granted him and others like him immunity from people like his now ex-client. Men like him were only concerned about one thing. 

Power... and they could care less about who they stepped on to get it.

**To Be Continued...******


	6. Chapter 5: The Mistress of Metal

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Rockman/Megaman. It belongs to Capcom. I wish I did own Axl but sadly he too belongs to Capcom (for those of you that don't know, he comes from Rockman/Megaman X7 for the PS2 [Which will be out in approximately four days]).  I do own Ryu Shingure and all other non Capcom characters. This story takes place several years before the Rockman.EXE series._

**The Road Not Shown  
By David Knight**

**Chapter Five: The Mistress of Metal**

It was Monday morning as both Ryu and his grandfather was both having breakfast. a bit earlier than normal but then again, Ryu was starting to want to get to school on time these days.

"Looking forward to another day of testing out Axl in battle," Wily asked.

"You bet," Ryu smirked, __I'm looking forward to testing out the chips we got from Starman. They are going to blow everyone away.__

"I won't be home until dinner time today," Wily spoke, surprising Ryu. "I have a meeting with an old friend of mine today." 

"Anyone I know?" Ryu asked.

"No. You've never met him before."

"Whatever," Ryu said as he finished off the rest of his breakfast, "I'll see you around dinner time then Gramps." he left the house with his PET in hand.

Wily took in thought as he waited a while before going down to the lab. He sat down at his desk and started up the program. "Computer. Play back security computer log from last night from 10 pm to 8 am this morning." 

"Acknowledged Professor Wily." 

As Wily read the log, he saw that no one had been in at all, and Ryu had apparently logged out at around midnight. __But did he?__ "Computer. Play back security camera footage from midnight and on." It did so, and Wily saw his grandson still on the machines past his written logout time. __You may be able to hack the system log but not the video security system. What were you doing?_ _

From the video records he saw what was done and where his grandson had went. __... so he found my back door into SciLabs. It would explain why my old friend called me up this morning and wanted to meet earlier than we planned.__ Wily let out a breath, __Ryu, just what did you do... and did you do anything to compromise my work?__

* * *

"You sure your grandfather isn't going to have figured out you went hacking into SciLabs?" Axl asked Ryu as he got off the bus and started walking towards school.

"Considering who he is, he might find out," Ryu admitted, "How much though is anyone's guess. How did the work on the Virus Breeder go?"

"The programming for it relatively simple," Axl reported. "Buying the parts you'll need to build the thing... that's the killer."

"Guess we'll have to play it by ear then," Ryu shrugged. His attention however was soon diverted as he saw two thugs from Hirokazu's former gang near a young woman Ryu had never seen before. 

She wore a white tank top, green jeans, a Japanese style coat, a choker around her neck, and striped wristbands. Raven black hair flowed down her back with a small silver saw blade on the right side of her head, used as a hair decoration.   

"She must be new," Ryu realized.

"And it looks like even though Hirokazu's gone, his old running buddies like to harass new students." Axl stated.

"Yeah well I don't think that's going to happen." Ryu growled as he was about to go over to help her but Axl spoke and said, "Don't even try it."

"Excuse me?"

"You'd be insulting her." Axl told him sternly.

"And how pray tell do you figure that?" Ryu snapped as he turned back to the scene, seeing one of the thugs rush her from behind... 

Only to see her side step gracefully away from him, get right beside him to grab his arm and then throw him hard to the ground. The other thug let out a cry as he tried to attack her with a punch but she expertly blocked it and then landed an open palm strike to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him crumbling to the ground.

"... holy..." Ryu muttered in disbelief as he watched the girl he thought almost defenseless just kick the crap out of those two thugs.

"Because she can take care of herself," Axl said smugly, "I saw it in her stance. She practices in the Art."

"... uh-huh..." Ryu nodded as he decided to get to class before he became late, though he wondered just who that girl was and if he would be seeing her again.

* * *

Wily waited at the cafe that been mentioned by his old friend. He wondered how long it would be until he did show up, as he always had a knack of being late to everything.

Today it happened only to be five minutes. He saw a middle aged man with a pale complexion, dark black purple hair and wearing a black suit take a chair across from him. "Albert."

"Eiji," Wily nodded, "Its been a few months since we last spoke like this."

"Work at SciLabs has kept me busy," Professor Eiji Hoshimaru sighed,  "Sometimes I wonder why I even stay there at all. Is it because I like the money I make... or because if I don't keep an eye on the fools within the system then we'll just go down to hell that much faster."

"At times you feel like the only one that understands where I am coming from Eiji," Wily said as he took a sip of his drink. "The Net that Takeru created has become flawed by idiots and fools who only care for money. For making their own lives much easier, and could care less about how many people die because of their ambitions."

"The death of your daughter really did change you Albert," Eiji said, "I may not say it was for the better, as such a tragedy would be better off never happening, but at least you had your eyes opened to the truth."

"The truth often seems hidden from us my old friend," Wily shook his head.

"As is who broke into SciLabs last evening," Eiji replied, looking at Wily in the eyes, "I helped you find the back door into our systems Albert."

"Don't even finish that statement," Wily returned, "You know me Eiji. I don't take if I can't remain invisible. What was taken?"

"No one knows yet but Yuuichiro's getting hammered by the suits," Eiji said, "Times like this I am glad not to be at the head of the department and stick in the background. Makes my work much easier. Much more comfortable too."

"I assume you brought scans of the intruders with you," Wily surmised. Eiji pulled out a PALM to show the images. __Some things never change and I am glad for that._ _the scientist mused as he first saw a kid size golden Navi. "This one I haven't seen before. Is he the perpetrator?"

"Actually he's the one that alerted us to the Navi that was responsible for the theft," Eiji explained as he showed an image of a ninja type Navi, followed by an image of a Navi Albert Wily only knew too well. "SciLab security tried to detain him and this Navi that was with him but they avoided detainment as the bulk of security was trying to capture the thief who managed to escape."

"Considering it was Shadowman that was your thief, I am not surprised." Wily said with an amused smirk.

"Shadowman?" Eiji asked.

"He's an Elite Mercenary Navi. Supposedly he has no operator but has a flawless record of giving his clients what they want," Wily answered, "Whomever hired him is anyone's guess."

"And the other Navi? Have you seen it before?"

"No, I have not. It possibly could have been some rich man's son who decided to take a hack into your systems," Wily proposed. 

"Perhaps," Eiji nodded. "But enough of that now. Let's get back to enjoying this day that we had planned back for the last two weeks."

"Yes. Better to think of different things on a nice day like this," Wily agreed. He could not have told his friend about Axl. If anyone, anyone, ever found out about Axl, what he had within him... there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the Officials wouldn't hesitate to send every Navi they had to delete him.

And hell would have to freeze over before he allowed that to happen.

* * *

"What does this make now, the eighth day in a row you've managed to get to class on time?" Kaede asked Ryu as he took his seat in front of her.

"Come on, it's not like I've got anything to be worried about now," Ryu shrugged.

"You're saying that only because you got Axl now," Gendo smirked, "Admit it buddy, you've changed ever since you got him."

"And you were expecting something else to happen?" Ryu returned.

"I don't see what you two are making such a big fuss over," Madoi sighed, "Ryu's happy how he is now. Just let him enjoy it."

Ryu's face reddened slightly at Madoi's words, but his face returned to normal when he heard the door open and saw Yuriko-sensei walk into the room. However his eyes went wide as he saw the girl from before come in with her. "No way..."

"What's wrong, Ryu?" Madoi asked.

"Two thugs from Hirokazu's old gang tried to rough her up this morning," Ryu explained, "Only thing was, they got roughed up instead."

"You're kidding me," Gendo mouthed.

"Everyone, may I have your attention please," Yuriko-sensei spoke up, "I'd like to introduce a new student into our class. Please introduce yourself."

"Makino Tamako," the raven-haired teen spoke calmly.

"Please take a seat in the front," Yuriko-sensei told her and she did so. "Now then, let's pick up where we left off."

Ryu however wasn't entirely focused on the lecture though, as he was looking at the raven-haired girl, Tamako, and wondering what she was all about.

* * *

There was someone else that was staring at Tamako, but instead of wondering who she was, he was wondering of how to hurt her. __You little bratty girl. You think you can humiliate Lo Yang like you did. Dream on.__ he gripped his PET tightly, __I'm going to challenge you, one way or another.__

* * *

Class seemed to pass by them and it was time for lunch. Ryu, Madoi, Gendo and Kaede were all at the table that had pretty much set up as their own for lunch. Madoi and Kaede were gossiping amongst one another, much to Gendo's displeasure. As it turned out Kaede and Madoi had quite a few common interests, it had made them close friends in a relatively short time.

Ryu on the other hand was looking over to the far end of room, and saw Tamako sitting there by herself, just no one but herself. 

"Ryu?" Gendo asked as he saw his friend get up.

"I'm going to talk to Tamako for a bit. See if she'd like to eat with us," Ryu said, "Looks like she could use some company."

__I know how that feels like.__ Madoi mused to herself.

Ryu ended up walking over to where Tamako was sitting, never once noticing that someone also staring at him.

__It's going to be my turn now Shingure. I have the okay from Makoto. So now I, Wong Fu will take you on and defeat your Navi. My friend Hirokazu will be avenged!__

* * *

__So far this is boring,__ Tamako mused to herself as she ate her curry lunch prepared by her mother, __I mean I got attacked by two really pathetic seniors on my first day. Not that it wasn't a welcome distraction, but I just miss having any challenge at all._ _She put her right hand in her coat pocket, feeling a very important thing to her. __Wish we were back at Yoka High, with all my other old friends. At least at my old school we didn't have any...__

"Hi. This seat taken?"

Tamako looked up, and saw a sandy blonde haired teen around her age come over to her. Motioning with her head for him to sit down, he did.

"Shingure Ryu. We had home room together today," he said.

__I hope he isn't not going to try to hit on me for a date,__ Tamako groaned.

"Those were some nice moves you had outside. Really took Hirokazu's old thugs by surprise," Ryu smirked, "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

Tamako actually blinked for a while before actually speaking, "Excuse me if I look surprised, but of all the things I was expecting you to say, that was last on my list."

Ryu let out a smile, "I'm not your typical guy. I'm glad Axl told me not to interfere though. He knew even before I did that you were a practitioner in the martial arts."

"Axl?"

"That would be me," Ryu's Net Navi spoke from his PET, which Ryu showed to Tamako. Tamako looked into Axl's eyes and saw something she rarely saw in a Navi nowadays: the spirit of a warrior.

"Arigato, Axl-san for keeping your operator from interfering," Tamako said kindly, "That was my own fight and I would have taken offence to interference."

"Just Axl, Tamako," the Navi returned, "I'll assume you want us to not add the '-chan' to your name."

Tamako just smiled, "That would be very appreciated."

"So what style was that?" Ryu asked.

"My father trained me in Kempo and Aikido." 

"Styles meant for offensive and defensive fighting respectively," Axl surmised.

"My father believed that it was best to have both a strong offence as well as a strong defense. Having or only developing one while ignoring the other is foolishness," Tamako said. "Its why he teaches classes at my family's inn."

"Your family owns an inn?" Ryu asked.

"The Ura Inn in Yoka," Tamako replied, "It's not that far from here. About fifteen, twenty minutes. Plus there's the zoo near by so that helps bring in customers."

"Wow," Ryu mused, "Hey listen, I got some friends over at this table. Think maybe you'd like to join us for lunch?"

Tamako thought about it for a moment, "Its better than eating alone."

Ryu smiled, "Great. Come on I'll introduce you to them." He got up as did Tamako, ready to go to his friends... only he ended up getting shoved by a senior in the other direction out the door.

"What the hell?" Tamako muttered as she saw Ryu in the hallway, and it looked like some people just like the two idiots she had educated this morning were now surrounding him. __Geez. First I wanted it exciting and then someone makes me like the quiet, then action comes in. Can't Kami-sama make up his mind already?__

Still, she was going to put her own hand, or fist into the matter. To her, Shingure Ryu was so far the only boy worth talking to in this school. She wasn't going to stand for this.

Her honor wouldn't stand for it.

* * *

__Got you now brat!__ Yang sneered as he followed Tamako intent on getting her. But as he was intent on getting Tamako, Ryu's own friends had realized something had happened and were now following the thug, knowing that once again, one of Hirokazu, or rather now Makoto's gang, had decided to challenge Ryu.

* * *

"Don't you have any common manners," Ryu growled at the gang members, "At least when your current leader is with you, you at least behave."

"What do you think we are Shingure? Dogs?" one of them snarled.

"Is that a trick question?" Ryu asked.

"Enough talk. I Wong Fu challenge you now Shingure!" 

Ryu shook his head, "Yeah, yeah. Fine. I am assuming we are going to do the Chip Bet Rule right?"

"Yeah we are," Fu stated as he put down two chips, "Knight Sword and Hammer."

The Hammer chip wasn't really to appealing to him, but the Knight Sword chip on the other hand was. __And its a Lv 4 no less. Only sword chip stronger is Paladin Sword.__ "Alright, here's my chips to make equal worth. My Elec, Aqua and Fire Sword chips."

"That's fine," Fu said as he looked over to someone in the back. 

"What's with you?" Ryu asked, wondering what was with his look. A few seconds later, a groan could be heard.

"Apparently he thought he could hurt you before netbattling you to make you weaker."

"Tamako," Ryu muttered as she saw the raven-haired girl holding a thug against the wall, with one of his arms being restrained by said girl.

"You really have no honor, you know that." Tamako said with disgust apparent in her voice.

"Just who the heck do you think you are?" Fu growled.

"You! You are the witch that humiliated me!"

Everyone turned to face one of the thugs that Tamako had beaten earlier this morning. Rolling her eyes, she asked, "Are you sure you should be advertising you were humiliated, or do you just don't have a brain?" 

"Shut up! No one does what you did to Lo Yang and gets away with it!" the arrogant bully hissed, "Let's do it here and now!"

"Yang, we can't fight on school grounds. Remember what Makoto told us," Fu said.

"So what?" Yang spat.

Tamako however eyed on what was in Yang's hands, his PET. "Let's see if your skills are any better than your mouth."

"Eh?" Yang blinked.

"A Tag Team match. Me and Ryu versus the two of you," Tamako said with a smirk, "Unless of course you think you'll get humiliated again by a girl."

"Screw you!" Yang spat. "Let's do it Fu! Let's kick their buts and their Navis!"

__Well I like better odds, though Yang isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Still, even his Navi has to be better than any female Navi... cept of course for Aoshi-sama's Navi.__ Fu muttered to himself. "Let's get this started then. To the comp lab, and the rest of you just keep teachers from seeing us battling."

The rest of the gang did that, making it clear for no one to see, while Ryu, Tamako, Fu and Yang got to a terminal and got their pets out.

"Ladies first," Yang sneered.

"I'll prefer to go last thank you." Tamako replied.

"Fine. PLUG-IN, CANNONMAN.EXE, TRANSMISSION!" Yang sneered.

"PLUG-IN, JETMAN.EXE, TRANSMISSION!" Fu commanded.

"PLUG-IN, AXL.EXE, TRANSMISSION!"

* * *

In the Net, Axl looked on as he saw his two opponents. Jetman looked somewhat alright, at least more formidable than Tankman had. He was blue and white colored all over, and he looked like a jet Transformer robot in their humanoid form. Though he had wings sticking out of his back and his head was nothing more than the cockpit of a fighter jet.

Cannonman was worse looking however. Pretty basic, all black with pirate cannon arms, a cannon on his chest, even his head was shaped like a cannon.

"Haha! This punk pest is our opponent!" Cannonman sneered.

"Don't underestimate him Cannonman, he did after all demolish Tankman," Jetman cautioned.

"I can tell already you're the 'brains' of your tag team," Axl smirked, "though that's not saying much."

"Why you..." Cannonman snarled, ready to fire but Jetman restrained him, as the match hadn't even officially begun.

__Pathetic.__ Axl sighed, __Still though, I am wondering what kind of Navi Tamako owns? Something tells me it won't be your standard type, that's for sure.__

* * *

"Hey lady! Where's your Navi?" Fu asked.

"Maybe she's out on the net getting a manicure or practicing to be a cheerleader," Yang snickered.

However to both thugs surprise, Tamako just laughed, "You truly are honorless dogs to make such a sexist remark." a wicked smile formed on her face, "Just because I'm a lady doesn't mean I have a female Navi... PLUG-IN, METALMAN.EXE, TRANSMISSION!"

"What?! She has a MALE Navi?!" Fu and Yang shouted.

Ryu was slightly surprised, but it wasn't unheard of for operators to have Navis of the opposite gender. A smirk formed on his face, __I'm curious to see what Metalman looks like, though I don't think I'll be disappointed.__

* * *

Axl saw Tamako's Navi materialize next to him. He was taller than Axl by two or three feet and was considerably more bulkier. His legs were black though wore red boots with a silver gear at the end of them. His upper torso was red, with two white stripes on the left and right of a large blue stripe in the center. In the center there was silver gear symbol. On his shoulders was half of a metal saw blade. His hands were gray and red though at the cuffs there was a metal gear as well. Lastly, his red helmet covered all but his face, which was gray and on that helmet was a metal saw blade.

"Um... which one do you want?" Jetman asked Cannonman, who foolishly decided to strike first, firing off a shot at the other two Navis.

Axl just jumped upward to avoid the shots, however Metalman just kept his ground and when the cannon balls came his way, he simply punched at them.

The cannon balls turned to dust by his touch.

'No way!' Yang gasped.

'Jetman take Axl out now!' Fu ordered.

"Right! Jets on!" Jetman roared to life as he went flying at high speeds, firing off missiles at Axl, who was dodging them all or destroying them with Suzaku.

'Hang in there Axl,' Ryu replied.

Meanwhile Cannonman was firing all of his shots at Metalman, who was either breaking them or did get hit by some of the shots, yet they didn't do major damage. Still Cannonman seemed to be trying to wear the giant Navi down.

'Metalman wait for it, we will see it when the time comes.' Tamako told her Navi.

Metalman silently obeyed his operator, and continued to remain on the defense.

"Hey Cannonman, are you having any fun now?" Jetman said as he was starting to enjoy chasing Axl down.

"Yeah, I'm just blasting this big junk pile until he breaks down," Cannonman sneered, "And then..." ***Click Click*** "... uh-oh."

'That's your limit. That's pathetic.' Tamako smirked. 

'Why's that!' Yang hissed, 'My Navi clobbered yours!'

'Take another look baka,' Tamako snorted.

Yang and Cannonman looked to where the smoke was now departing, and saw Metalman, who had only suffered _minor_ damage from the several direct hits he had taken as well as destroying cannonballs.

'Its time to stop playing around,' Tamako said sternly, her voice showing that she was done playing. 'BATTLECHIP, METALSTAGE, SLOT IN!'

Suddenly the floor beneath them became entirely metal. Cannonman felt that nothing had changed yet and had wondered what was the point of this.

'BATTLECHIP, FLOOR GEARS, SLOT IN!'

Suddenly, large grinding gears appeared out of the floor and started moving forward and backward. As Cannonman learned the hard way as one of them tore out a chunk of his left leg.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Cannonman screamed.

"Cannonman!" Jetman roared, looking down at Metalman, who wasn't even turning around. __I'm going to get that sucker right in the back once I finish Axl. Time to stop...__

"Frost Dragon Bullet!" 

Jetman barely had the time to see Axl fire off a shot at his cockpit head. Once it connected, his head was encased entirely in ice. Unable to see, he ended up crashing into the ground. __How! He was using his gun to stop my missiles!__

As if hearing his thoughts, Axl answered, "I was using Suzaku to stop your missiles, while charging up Seriyu to take you out."

"I won't lose to you! I won't! I won't! I won't!" Cannonman boasted.

Finally Metalman spoke, "Your arrogance... annoys me." He then flung his hand forward and from it came a metal saw blade that went right into Cannonman, but not through him. 

Still, it went enough into him that he fell to the ground and he had to log out before ending up deleted.

"Nice move." Axl said to Metalman.

"Thanks for watching my back," Metalman returned.

"I... fight on..." Jetman rasped as he got back up on his feet.

"May I?" Metalman asked.

Axl nodded and stepped out of his way, "Have a party big guy. I've already had my fun with him."

"Thank you," Metalman nodded, as his back rockets went off, propelling him in the air as he launched out five rockets at Jetman, who only said one thing when he saw them.

"Slag."

Once the rockets hit him, he immediately logged out.

"Well that's it," Axl shrugged, looking back to Metalman, "Thanks for teaming up with me. Maybe next time we could test our own strengths." He held his hand out to the larger Navi.

A hand that Metalman accepted, "I'd be honored to have a fight against a Navi with a spirit such as yours."

* * *

A few minutes later, Ryu collected his winnings from Fu while Tamako got the satisfaction of seeing their faces after her Navi beat theirs. Just when they thought the two thugs might try something, they backed off and left with the rest of their 'friends'.

"Strange, I would have assumed they wouldn't have kept their bargain," Tamako mused.

"Yeah well, after what happened to Hirokazu, and how they all seem to be afraid of one Shidou Aoshi, I think they just want to stay in school till they graduate instead of being thrown out." Ryu shrugged.

"Well this has definitely turned into an interesting day," Tamako mused, "And we still have ten minutes of lunch left."

"Enough time to meet with my..."

"Ryu!" 

"Friends," he finished as he saw Kaede, Madoi and Gendo coming to them.

"Ryu, what happened?" Madoi asked, seeing there wasn't even a gang member at all this time.

"Um, let's explain it with my new friend here. Everyone this is Makino Tamako," Ryu started to say, and seeing the look in Madoi and Kaede's eyes, added, "And her Navi is Metalman.EXE."

"She's got a _male_ Navi?!" All three of his friends gasped.

"Is everyone going to react this way to my having a male Navi?" Tamako rolled her eyes.

"Well around here, you only really see guys with male Navis, and girls with female Navis." Ryu replied.

"I really don't see what the big deal is. Everyone's got different preferences and styles," Axl spoke, "Just deal with it and move on."

"Well said Axl, Well said indeed." Tamako agreed whole-heartedly.

"Come on let's go back and salvage what's left of lunch okay guys." Ryu said as he pocketed his new chips. Everyone else agreed and walked back to the lunch area with him. 

Tamako couldn't help but feel that she had found a real friend her, more friends through him, but most important of all she had found what she had been lacking for some time now.

A challenge.

* * *

Unseen by all, Aoshi watched Ryu and his friends leaving by looking at the feed from the security camera outside the hallway. It was relatively easy for him to control the school security system, what with Kodachi as his Navi.

"That Axl is becoming more interesting Aoshi-sama," Kodachi said sweetly, "I think he really could be a challenge. Can we go fight him now? Please, Aoshi-sama. Pretty pleaseeeee."

Aoshi's face lips curved into a grin, "Its not yet time Kodachi. I'm still amazed at his strength and speed, yet he's less than a month old. I'd like study the subject more. After all this was the first time we saw him use that Frost Dragon Bullet attack."

"You are truly a masterful tactician Aoshi-sama," Kodachi praised.

"Thank you Kodachi, but I must thank our only loss for this wisdom." His face became like stone as he admitted his only defeat. "If nothing else, our fight with Blues taught me one valuable lesson: Never underestimate your opponent. I have no intent on underestimating Axl as we once underestimated Blues simply because of his brat operator. We will watch him for a while longer."

"And then after that while is over, then I can have my fun?" Kodachi pleaded, "Then can I play with him Aoshi-sama?"

Aoshi's lips returned to a smirk, "Yes Kodachi, then you can play with him until he breaks."

**To Be Continued...**


End file.
